Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On March 11, 2024, the Tafuna Police Station (TPS) received a call from American Samoa Community College (ASCC) security regarding a 18-year-old male breaking into two vehicles at the ASCC campus.

Mamona Momona was apprehended from Sweetie’s Fast Food across from ASCC and charged with Count 1 & 2: Stealing — a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000.00, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $2,000.

According to the affidavit, on March 11, at around 11:39 am, TPS received a call regarding a young man seen on camera breaking into two vehicles earlier, on the ASCC campus. The young man was reported to have gone to Sweetie’s Fast Food, located across from ASCC.

According to the caller, the suspect was wearing a black shirt and green pants. Police officers responded to the call.

On the way to the scene at around 11:46 a.m, officers observed a young man that fit the caller’s descriptionof the young man inside the Sweetie’s Fast Food.

Officers stopped and apprehended the suspect and made their way to ASCC to meet up with the caller/ reporter and to view the camera footage.

Upon reviewing the camera footage, the suspect was observed unlawfully entering the passenger side of the first vehicle at around 8:49 a.m and was inside the vehicle for at least 2 minutes. At around 8:56 a.m, the suspect was observed entering the passenger’s side of the second vehicle. After breaking into the two vehicles, the suspect was seen heading to the fast food restaurant across from ASCC.

The suspect was transported to the TPS at around 11:53 am.

At the station, the suspect was identified as Mamona Momona.

Mamona was Mirandized where he refused to answer questions regarding the matter.

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

According to one of the victims, who owns the first vehicle that was broken into, when she got into her car at around 9:45 am, she noticed that the trash bag in her car had been riffled and her new pack of cigarettes and loose change was missing from the cup holder. Items in the back seat of her vehicle were re-arranged.

According to the affidavit, the second victim who owns the other vehicle broken into, “stated the same thing but she noticed her flash drive was missing.”

Stolen items listed as confiscated by officers and later returned back to the victims was a pack of cigarettes, 50 cents and a white flash drive — the items were found inside the Mamona’s fanny bag.

The defendant is identified as a 18-year-old U.S National.