Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 24, 2024, a female individual contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and reported that her brother allegedly broke into their home.

The 69 year-old defendant was apprehended and charged with:

Count 1: Trespass, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Stealing, a class C felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than seven years, a fine of $5,000 or an amount equal to twice the amount gained from the commission of the crime up to a maximum of $20,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $20,000.

According to the affidavit, on September 24th, at about 8:38 p.m., a female individual (later identified as victim #1) contacted TPS and reported that her residence had been broken into by her brother, Sivanu Tunoa.

Police officers responded to the call and made initial contact with another female individual (later identified as victim #2).

Victim #2 stated that she and her sister (victim #1) reside in the house which belongs to their younger brother. She explained that the cameras at their house are connected to their phones where it alerts them when there’s a movement in their house.

And, when she received the notification of a movement in their home at about 7:19 p.m., she checked the footage and saw Tunoa entering the house and removing two cameras mounted on the wall. Tunoa is their older brother and he does not live with them, he has his own home.

Victim #2 also claimed that there were previous incidents where the defendant entered their house without permission and took valuable items belonging to her and her sister (victim #1). With that being the norm, she and her sister informed the suspect that he was banned from their house which unfortunately, the suspect ignored and entered their home again without permission.

Victim # 1 was also interviewed where she confirmed victim #2’s statement.

Police officers viewed the footage of the recorded incident and observed the defendant entering the victims’ residence through the front door and snatching one camera mounted in the living room. The defendant then entered through the front patio, forcibly opening a window from one of the bedrooms and snatching the second camera.

Tunoa then fled the scene with the cameras after the incident occurred.

Later, victim #1 contacted the TPS and reported that the defendant had returned to their family land and entered their brother’s house nearby “as if nothing happened”.

Police officers responded to the scene again and escorted the defendant to the TPS for further investigation.

The suspect was Mirandized at TPS, and the suspect agreed to make a statement.

According to the suspect, he admitted snatching the cameras and claimed that he does not like to be recorded. The suspect also stated that he was informed by his sisters not to enter the house without permission but he claimed that the house belongs to their father. The suspect also stated he threw the cameras out of his vehicle on his way home.

However, during the inventory of the suspect’s vehicle, officers located the cameras in the armrest of his vehicle.

The suspect was booked at the TPS and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility for confinement to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 69-year-old U.S citizen.