Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 13, 2024, a business owner contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report that one of his tenant’s apartments had been broken into.

A suspect was later apprehended and charged with:

Count 1: Burglary in the Second Degree, a class C felony punishable by imprisonment not to exceed seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both;

Count 2: Stealing, a class C felony punishable by imprisonment not to exceed seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both; and,

Count 3: 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 $10,000.

According to the affidavit, on September 13th, at about 7:36 a.m., a business owner called 911 to report that someone had been broken into one of his tenant’s apartments in the morning.

Police officers proceeded to the call, and on upon arrival at the scene, the officers met up with a male individual who was later identified as the owner of the apartments.

The owner briefed the responding officers on what had happened. He stated that he is the owner of the apartment complex and one of his tenants contacted him and reported that her apartment had been broken into. He pointed out the door that the burglar used to enter, which was the front door. He also showed the wooden fence that was pried open, making the unit accessible to the suspect.

He said that his tenant said it was only her bag that was stolen. He further alleged that the culprit might have been a man by the name of Asuelu Moalele. The authorities were familiar with the suspect from previous cases.

The authorities took pictures of the damages.

The officers then proceeded to the residence of Moalele, which was located behind the victim’s apartment. Officers met with a male individual (later identified as the suspect’s older brother) and he gave the authorities consent to enter their house and the suspect’s room.

Upon opening the door to the suspect’s room, officers observed a bag that matched the description of the stolen bag, located at an arm’s length near the suspect. Officers confiscated the bag and apprehended the suspect. He was transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Upon arriving at the TPS, Asuelu Moalele was Mirandized and he agreed to provide a statement.

According to the suspect, he does not know who owns the bag but he believes it belongs to his older brother. The suspect was adamant about not owning the bag and also mentioned he had been drinking that night around 11:00 p.m. When questioned what he was drinking he stated he drank a canned alcohol beverage.

The officers located the older brother that the suspect claimed owns the bag, and asked him to come to the TPS regarding the issue.

At the TPS, the suspect’s brother was interviewed and he stated that the bag wasn’t his.

The officers contacted the victim and requested for her to come to the station to identify the bag. The victim confirmed that the bag was hers, and its contents were valued at about $120.00.

The victim then provided a written statement and the stolen bag was returned to the victim.

The suspect was booked and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

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