Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On May 8, 2024, a male individual later identified as the victim, contacted the Fagatogo Police Central Station to report that his stepson allegedly damaged and unlawfully entered his abandoned property.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Property Damage in the Third Degree — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500., or both; and,

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

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

According to the affidavit, at about 6:00 p.m, a man contacted FPS to report that James Mose had broken into (unlawfully entered) a secured abandoned house and destroyed about 20 taro plants and several banana trees across the road from his (reporter) property.

The officers responded to the call from Afono and upon arrival met up with the reporter where he verbally briefed the officers. The reporter stated that Mose is his adopted son that used to live with him. However, the reporter informed the officers that he has disowned Mose and kicked him out of his house due to family matters.

The reporter explained that he found out from the couple he had offered his abandoned house to renovate and clean up, that Mose had unlawfully entered into the the abandoned house.

The affidavit stated that at about 5:00 p.m, the couple had gone back to the abandoned house to repair and clean it up and observed the back door into the kitchen area was broken off. In addition, the plantation of taros and banana trees had been pulled out from the ground and left scattered all over the road. The couple suspected that Mose did this, which is when they went to the owner of the house and later contacted the FPS.

Police officers then proceeded to canvass around Afono for Mose and located him where upon he was immediately detained and placed into the police unit. The suspect was transported to the FPS for further investigation.

 Upon arrival at the FPS at about 7:50 p.m, the suspect was Mirandized and requested to make a statement.

According to the suspect’s verbal statement, he was chased away from home by his adopted father and had nowhere to go or to stay.

The suspect stated he then broke into the abandoned house and stayed there for three days. At about 3:00 p.m when he got off work, he went back to the abandoned house and found out that a couple had taken out all of his belongings. He then went over and asked them for his clothes that they took but they said they didn’t know anything about it. However, the suspect claimed that he saw the man wearing his shirt which got him angry. He then went back later to the abandoned house and started to pull taros and banana trees out from the ground.

At about 8:11 p.m, Mose was booked and confined then transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the court.

The defendant is identified as a 24 year-old U.S National.