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Malaeimi car accident results in drug charges for the driver

American Samoa District Court building
ausage@samoanews.com

 

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The man who drove the black truck that was involved in a car accident last week in Nuuuli is now charged with unlawful possession of drugs.

Jacob Alesana made his initial appearance in District Court last week. He is charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (marijuana); and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) — both unclassified felonies. He’s also facing several traffic citations

Judge Elvis P. Patea established Alesana’s bond at $5,000. If he posts bond, Alesana is to remain law abiding, not leave or attempt to leave the territory, and not make any direct or indirect contact with the government’s witnesses.

Alesana will be in court tomorrow for a preliminary examination (PX).

According to the government, on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 in Malaeimi, the Tafuna Substation received a call regarding a car accident near the ASCC compound.

While cops were approaching the scene, they observed a male trying to hide himself from the lights of the police unit. The male appeared to be struggling to walk, as he was holding his left foot with his left hand.

Several people who witnessed the incident pointed police in the direction where the driver of the black truck that caused the accident was running. Cops later found Alesana hiding behind a house.

As police were trying to open the driver’s door of the black truck, one cop saw a glass pipe on the back seat and two empty stamp-sized baggies on the car floor.

An inventory of the vehicle was conducted with the presence of the defendant. Two small stamp-sized baggies containing a crystalline substance were discovered under the driver’s seat, and one small stamp-sized baggie containing a green leafy substance was found on the back seat floor.

Alesana told police that the drugs didn’t belong to him. He said his uncle borrowed his truck for two weeks, and he just got it back.

The crystalline substance tested positive for meth while the green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana.