Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Fagatogo Police Headquarters received a call on July 2, 2023 at 8:28 PM requesting their assistance regarding an individual, Tila Afasene, who allegedly broke into the Port Administration and tried to break into a Peter. E. Reid Stevedoring office container that stored valuable tools.

Officers responded to the call and upon arriving at the scene, they approached 2 individuals, later identified as Sile Vaoga, Assistant Chief of Port Administrative Security, and Tutuila Ali’ielua, who is security there. They briefed officers on the incident, after which, they then went into the security office and approached the individual detained there and who is identified as the defendant in the break.-in

According to Port Security Officer Ali’ielua, earlier that night while he stood at the main gate of Port, Afasene drove up and informed him that he had just returned from Apia and wanted to check his work schedule at Peter E. Reid office for tomorrow. He was allowed access and shortly after, returned and left the premises in his vehicle.

According to Alope Pereisetene of Peter Reid Stevedoring, he met with Afasene when he came to the office area and requested to see his work schedule for the week. Pereisetene stated that he checked the office but realized that it was locked, he told Afasene and shortly after, Afasene left the premises.

Ten minutes after Afasene had allegedly left the area, Pereisetene walked around the area and that’s when he heard what sounded like metal hitting metal. He went to check the noise out and discovered Afasene using a bigger metal lock to strike the metal lock of their office container. Pereisetene stated that his co-worker Ilaiakimi Atu approached Afasene and stopped him, shortly after he had damaged the master lock.

Pereisetene then called Port Police and the DPS concerning the incident.

It was found that Afasene allegedly left the Port Administration and parked his car across the street next to Samoa Sports building, and unlawfully entered the Port Administration by hopping the fence, to which he then made his way to the Peter Reid Stevedoring area and tried to allegedly break into a locked container that had valuable tools inside.

Afasene was arrested and was taken to Fagatogo Police Station for processing and was later transported to TCF.

Afasene was arraigned in District Court on July 3, 2023 and is being charged with 4 counts – one count for tampering in the second degree; one count in property damaged in the third degree; one count for trespassing and one count of burglary in the first degree.

Afasene’s bail is currently set at $5,000.