Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 30, 2023, at around 2:59am, a terrified woman contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) regarding a male individual later identified as Michael Tunoa who was allegedly breaking into her house by “prying the window and front door.”

The defendant was charged with the following:

Count 1: Tampering in the Second Degree — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1000, or both.

Count 2: Trespass — a class B misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both.

Bail for the defendant was set at $1000.

Police officers immediately responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene in Pavaiai, officers canvassed the caller’s home and “observed a male individual exiting the structure (damaged building) on the right side of the woman’s house.” When speaking with the victim, she frighteningly exited her home, shaking. She identified the suspect as her cousin who she alleges constantly tries to break into her house by “prying the screen wire and front door.”

According to the victim’s statement, “she was sleeping in her bedroom and was awoken by a loud noise coming from the front of her house as if someone was trying to get inside.” When leaving her bedroom she immediately called out to Michael as she could hear him “mumbling and talking to another person.” The victim expressed that she feared for her life because she was not used to this kind of behavior but this has become a habit with Tunoa. She shared that she does not know what these individuals are capable of doing when they are using drugs.

The victim revealed that she moved to American Samoa after her mother’s funeral. The break-ins were new to her but her family members allegedly warned that her cousins, the suspect and his brother, were on drugs and often broke into people’s homes. She further explained, “this was not the first time her cousin Michael broke into the house. The last time she caught him (suspect) entering her house through the window causing damage to the screen wires.” When the victim tried to confront the suspect, he yelled at her and told her that it was his brother who told him to get a knife from inside the house.

 Police officers apprehended the suspect and transported him to the TPS for further investigation.

The defendant was Mirandized and verbally stated that “he was told by his brother Apolo to go open the house and get the knife.”

The suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) to await the next sitting of District Court.

The defendant was identified as a U.S. National.