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Court Report: Interfering with investigation, a couple of PPDs, and burglary and drug charges

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man suspected of burglarizing the home of an Asian couple in Tafuna has been charged with interfering with a police investigation.

Jimmy Aloese is facing two misdemeanor charges: public peace disturbance and interfering with a police investigation. He made his initial appearance in District Court this week, where Judge Elvis P. Patea set bail at $300.

If he posts bond, Atonio is ordered to stay away from the couple's home, and he is not to have any direct or indirect contact with the plaintiffs or any of the government's witnesses.

According to police, at around 11:53 p.m on June 2nd, a man contacted police about a burglary. A Filipino couple and their three young children rent the home in question.

When police arrived at the scene, they spoke to the man who reported the matter who said that the couple who rents the home were afraid to call police because the man who burglarized their home might do something bad to them if he knows that they were the ones who contacted authorities.

While police were talking to the reporter, along with the couple who are the victims in this case, a male, later identified as the defendant, entered the home uninvited and yelled at the man saying, he didn't break into the house.

Aloese, who was intoxicated, told one officer that it was another guy by the name of “Whisky” who allegedly broke into the house and stole several items. The officer instructed Aloese to get away and not interfere with their job. Aloese did not comply with the cops’ instruction, he continued to yell out to the couple and told them that it was not he who broke into their home.

And for some reason, Aloese tried to pick a fight with the man who reported the matter to police, asking him, "What do you want?"

Aloese further told officers that it was the two nephews of the man who contacted police who lived across the street that allegedly broke into the house when the couple was at work and stole several items from inside the house.

He also showed a watch he was wearing to police and stated that one of the guys who broke into the house gave him the watch. He then handed the watch over to one of the police officers.

Even after police officers ordered him to get out of the house and leave the property, Aloese continued to threaten the man, clenching his fists and telling him, “You'll see what I'm going to do to you!”

Police officers arrested the defendant for interfering with their investigation.

According to the police affidavit, before Aloese was escorted out of the house, the couple identified him as one of the people present when an Asian man was robbed two months before, of a bag containing $890 cash, three personal phones, and multiple identification cards.

Aloese is scheduled to appear in court July 15th for a pretrial conference.

Samoa News understands that police are still investigating this matter.

SOLOMONA FAAFETAI

A 32-year-old male accused of disturbing the peace in a restaurant parking lot last week Wednesday made his initial in District Court Thursday morning, where he entered a not guilty plea to the single charge of public peace disturbance.

Solomona Faafetai is being represented by Assistant Public Defender Bob Stuart.

Stuart asked the court to release his client on his own recognizance, saying this is his first offense and the allegation against him is not serious. The prosecutor did not oppose the defense’s motion.

The court granted the defense’s motion and released the defendant under usual conditions that include being alcohol and drug free.

“You are not allowed to go back to the restaurant compound at anytime,” the court told the defendant on penalty of being jailed until his case is heard.

The government claims that on June 4 around 10:40 p.m, police officers apprehended an unknown individual later identified as the defendant, for disturbing the peace in a restaurant parking lot in the Tafuna area.

Police officers working on the west side said they were at the other side of the restaurant’s parking lot area when they heard someone shouting profane words, both in Samoan and English.

Officers approached the crowd and observed the defendant yelling profanities and challenging people in the parking lot to a fistfight.

Police officers intervened and apprehended the defendant, who was then transported to the Tafuna Police Substation where he was booked and taken to jail to await his first appearance in District Court.

The court affidavit said Faafetai was heavily intoxicated.

An eyewitness told police that the defendant approached another male individual who was standing behind a blue pick up before he (defendant) allegedly punched the male individual in the eye. The victim then jumped inside the pick up and left the area immediately.

UELESE TAGALOA

The government has charged a 24-year-old man with unlawful possession of illegal drugs and for trying to break into a house in Ottoville in December of last year. Uelese Tagaloa made his initial appearance in court last month after he was arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant from the court.

According to the government’s case, a man informed police about a male who tried to break into a house in Ottoville by throwing rocks at the back door and also side windows on the night of Dec. 26th, 2019 in an effort to gain entry into the house.

Several police officers responded to the call but were unable to locate the suspect. However, last month, the wife of the man who contacted police for the alleged burglary called the TPS on May 24th, around 6:24p.m, saying the man her husband saw trying to break into a house in December of last year was within sight.

When police arrived, this time the witness identified the defendant, who was among other young men cleaning the yard of their neighbor. Police approached Tagaloa and asked him if he could come with them to the station to discuss an important issue.

While speaking with police, Tagaloa pushed the police officer away and immediately turned and ran away. A foot chase ensued with police and Tagaloa was later apprehended and transported to the TPS for questioning.

Prior to transportation, a body search was carried out during which police discovered small stamp-sized baggie containing green leaves inside Tagaloa’s right pocket. He told police that the marijuana leaves found in his possession were from a friend who lived in Vaitogi.

When asked about the alleged incident where he attempted to break into a store in the village, Tagaloa said he doesn’t know anything about that case and he was never involved in any criminal behavior last year.

When asked why he ran away when police approached him, Tagaloa smiled and said, “Because I got some illegal stuff in my possession when police approached me.”

Tagaloa, who has a long criminal history, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and attempted burglary in the second degree — all class D felonies, along with disturbing the public peace (PPD), a class B misdemeanor.

Tagaloa’s bond is set at $5,000.

If he posts bond, the court has ordered the usual restrictions, including he not set foot in the store he allegedly tried to break into and enter, and to not make any contact with the government's witnesses.