Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man is being charged with felony stealing, among other charges, in two separate cases.

Hurry Magalasin in the first case, had an arrest warrant issued on May 9, 2024 and in the second case an arrest warrant was issued on May 22, 224.

FIRST CASE

In the first case, he is charged with one count of felony stealing — a class C felony, punishable by imprisonment of not more than seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both; and, one count of Tampering in the Second degree — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed one (1) year, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.

Bail is set at $10,000.

Samoa News first reported this case in April 2024, where according to affidavits issued for Lorenzo Sualoa and Ieti So’osemea, Magalasin is identified as the 3rd person allegedly involved with stealing a lawn tractor from a home in Nu’uuli. It was reported by the owner of the lawn tractor to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) on March 29, 2024.

Magalasin’s affidavit, issued on May 9, 2024, describes a police investigation of the matter which included an interview with the owner of the stolen lawn tractor, who showed police officers the alleged crime scene, and also provided video footage to the officers at the scene, which allegedly caught on security camera “an unknown individual wearing an all- black jacket, black shocks [sic] and a white sandal pushing the lawn tractor away from the victim's house.”

The victim valued the stolen lawn tractor at about $3,000.

Sualoa was the first defendant arrested by police in this case, when he was identified on the security footage of the store located across the road going to the victim’s home, as allegedly the person driving the stolen lawn tractor while it was being towed by a vehicle.

Both the stolen lawn tractor and the vehicle used to tow the lawn tractor were found at the scene, and were impounded by the police.

The stolen lawn tractor was later returned to the owner at TPS.

Sualoa was detained and later Mirandized at TPS, where he agreed to make a statement. He told police of how he was involved in the robbery.

Magalasin was arrested later on the same day as Sualoa’s arrest, when he was located by police around the area when he lives. Taken to TPS, he was identified by Sualoa, who also identified him as the person walking next to him in the store’s security tape showing the stolen lawn tractor being towed.

Magalasin was Mirandized and agreed to make a statement. In his statement, he said “he does not know anything.”

According to the May 9th affidavit, on March 30, 2024, the 3rd defendant in the burglary, Soosemea, was identified by police walking towards a fast food restaurant. Police stopped him and asked to go with them to the TPS as he was a person of interest in a case they were investigating.

At the TPS, he was Mirandized and agreed to make a statement. He stated that he and Hurry (Magalasin) devised the plan to steal the lawn tractor and that Hurry would be the lookout. He explained what they did.

According to the affidavit, Soosemea “left the Tafuna Substation of his own free will”, while Magalasin and Sualoa were booked at the TPS and later confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) for 48 hours until arrest warrants were processed.

In the May 9th affidavit, Magalasin is identified as born in Vietnam and residing in Nu’uuli, while Soosemea is identified as a US citizen and Sualoa as a US national.

However, in the second case against Magalasin, the May 22, affidavit identifies him as born in the Philippines, not Vietnam.

His bail is set at $10,000 in this case.

SECOND CASE

Magalasin is charged with Burglary in the 2nd degree — a class C felony, punishable by imprisonment of not more than seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both; and, Property Damage in the 2nd degree — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

According to the affidavit, on April 16, 2024, Magalasin allegedly “burglarized the TMJ store and laundromat in Pavaia’i.” The owner of TMJ provided police with security footage of “a suspect walking around in the store and then using what appears to be a glass cutter to try and break the glass door.”

The owner stated that she viewed the camera security surveillance and found the suspect on footage who she assumed stays in Nu'uuli. She also stated that she had seen the perpetrator in their store in Nu'uuli.

The affidavit does not explain who identified Magalasin as the suspect of the incident- burglary, and how or when he was arrested.

However, it does indicate that the burglary of the store took place after the burglary of the lawn tractor. There is no explanation of when Magalasin was let out of jail after being detained at TCF for 48 hours awaiting a warrant for arrest in the matter of the stolen lawn tractor.