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Missing boy from American Samoa found with friends in Malaeimi

A look at the poster that was posted around the territory when Tiama went missing. He was found Monday morning, safe and unharmed.  [Courtesy photo]
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The young boy who was gone missing from his family in Nu’uuli since last week Saturday, June 16 is now with his parents. The boy was found Monday morning and looked fine.

This was confirmed by his mother during a telephone interview yesterday with Samoa News.

An official from the Department of Public Safety also confirmed to Samoa News yesterday afternoon that the young boy who was missing since Saturday last week is now reunited with his parents and family. The DPS official did not offer any additional details about this case.

According to his mother, her son, who is the eldest of their children was at his friend’s house. His friend was the son of a faifeau (pastor) in Malaeimi.

The mother said her son went to buy a Samoan movie last Saturday to watch, but came back home unable to find a Samoan movie to watch. Her son then went to the store across from their home to buy ice-cream.

While standing in front of the store, his friend’s vehicle pulled up in front of the store and the two young boys talked for a moment, and finally made the decision that they would spend the weekend together at his friend’s house in Malaeimi.

According to the boy’s mother, her son’s friend’s mother instructed her son to come to talk to her and his father to ask permission, so that he would be allowed to sleep over at his friend’s house in Malaeimi. However, her son did not come and ask her and her husband for permission, instead, he went back and told his friend’s mother that his parents had said yes to his sleeping over.

A friend of the missing boy’s mother called her Monday morning and informed her that she had picked up her son in front of a store in Malaeimi. The caller then told the mother that immediately after he picked up her son, she then noticed a police unit passing by the same area. She then flagged down the police unit and handed the missing boy over to the officers who were inside the police unit.

The boy was then taken to the Tafuna Police Sub-Station to wait the arrival of his mother.

“My friend picked me up and we went to the Tafuna Police Station, where we met with the police officers along with my son. After a short briefing with the police offers, my son was then released back to me,” the mother said.

“I thank everyone who prayed for the safety of my son. He was missing for 3 days because of his carelessness. He failed to notify us on his whereabouts. Thank God that he was safe.”

The mother told Samoa News that this is the first time her son has done something like this

Posters were put up around the island, and a call out by the family on Facebook was also initiated about the missing boy.

The family said “We’re making Tiama go around all the island and take down all the posters and thank store owners/ policemen/ everyone for helping; and apologizing to them as well. Thank you God for bringing him back safe and sound.