Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man and his underage brother were arrested and charged by police in relation to the alleged burglarizing of the Krispy Krunchy Chicken (KKC) restaurant in Nu’uuli in which they stole a small box containing $600 in cash.

The adult brother was charged with one count of 1st burglary and one count of stealing, along with one count of trespass.

His younger brother, a juvenile is charged as a minor.

Due to the juvenile delinquent involved and that his file is sealed by the court, Samoa News has opted not to name the adult brother.

The adult brother is held on bail of $10,000.

THE CASE

According to the government’s case, the representative of Krispy Krunchy Chicken (KKC) restaurant in Nu’uuli noticed the shop was burglarized  during her normal routine of opening up the shop. At the time, she found that the cashier’s cash box was missing.

It’s alleged the small vault inside the office was open and one of the small cashier boxes was missing. The box is said to have contained $600 — $200 cash for BlueSky charge; and, $400 of change in coins and dollars.

The owner of the restaurant was contacted, and he told police that it's more than $600 that was missing. Adding that he owns two ATM machines in the shop and normally puts cash in the ATM when it’s out of service.

“On Aug. 16th, 2022 he filled each machine with a $4,000 USD in $20 bill. He also stated that the safe in the office had about $8,000 to $10,000 in cash to fill up the ATMs.”

Also, “he never locks up the safe in his office because he never thought that anyone would do anything and no one knew that he had that amount of cash in the safe…”

The next morning, police met with neighbors and who told them there were three men sitting in front of the restaurant, people they have never seen before.

Two days later footage of the burglary was posted on social media and the restaurant owner received a tip from a couple that the person in the video appears to be one of their family members. Names and information of the alleged culprits were given to the owners.

The first accused was picked up by police — he was the adult brother who allegedly admitted to the police that he and his young brother who is under age “broke into the restaurant and stole money to pay their debt and that it was his younger brother who went inside the store and stole the money while he was waiting outside” to look out for people.