Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 26, 2024, a couple contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report a male individual who allegedly tried to steal their vehicle.

The defendant was detained by the husband and was later arrested by police and charged with:

Count 1: Burglary in the First Degree, a class B felony punishable by imprisonment of not less than five and not more than fifteen years; and,

Count 2: Burglary in the Second Degree, a class B felony, punishable by imprisonment of not less than five not more than fifteen years.

The defendant’s bail was set at $10,000.

According to the affidavit, on August 26th, at about 9:23 p.m., a female individual contacted the TPS to report that a male individual named Fa’amanu Kitiona allegedly tried to steal their vehicle — but her husband caught him.

Upon arrival at the scene, police officers met up with the female individual who reported the burglary and her husband (later identified as the victims) who was holding a younger male individual later identified as the defendant, Kitiona.

Officers interviewed the reporter (victim #1) and she verbally stated that she was in her bedroom with her husband and she heard somebody turning on their vehicle outside of the house. She said that both her and husband stood up and looked outside of the window of their bedroom and saw that her vehicle was turned on.

Her and husband went outside their house and her husband caught the defendant inside her vehicle and detained the defendant, while she called TPS.

The victim pointed out that her car keys were inside their house.

Police officers interviewed the husband (victim #2) and he verbally stated that earlier that day (Aug. 26, 2024), he saw the defendant checking the door handles of his pickup truck to see if the vehicle was open. He explained he stopped the defendant and warned him not to touch his vehicles.

However, later in the evening, he and his wife were in their bedroom and heard a vehicle being turned on outside of their house. When he looked outside the window of their bedroom, his other vehicle was turned on. He explained that the key to the vehicle was inside their house and that his wife had put the keys on a table in the living room near their bedroom door.

The police officers then arrested the defendant and transported him to the TPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the TPS, the defendant was MIrandized and refused to make a statement.

The defendant was then booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined and to await the next available sitting at the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 30-year-old U.S National.