Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing puppies from a home in Malaeloa. He has been charged with one count each of trespassing and stealing.

Trespassing is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment up to 6 months, a fine of $500 or both.

Stealing is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment up to one year a fine of $1,000 or both.

Bail is set a $1,000.

The matter was called into the Tafuna Police Substation by Mr. Edward Eary on October 31, 2023, in the afternoon. Mr. Eary was identified as the house owner, and the victim was one of his tenants, Mrs. Sinafoailuga Leiataua, who leases his home. He told police when they arrived at his home in Malaeloa that the tenant-victim has called him and said “her two puppies were stolen from home.”

Video footage was provided by Mrs. Leiataua to officers. While reviewing the footage an unknown person was “seen on the property entering the umu (Samoan kitchen)” — where the victim’s puppies were, he was seen stealing them and running off.

One of the officers was able to identify the unknown person as Mr. Fifita Eteuati from previous cases he investigated.

In her interview with police, Mrs. Leiataua said it was on October 30, 2023, around noon, “her husband Mr. Tuipulegafou Leiataua went to check on the puppies and noticed that they were missing.” She said she then checked her surveillance footage and observed a male individual approaching their umu, grabbing two of her puppies and taking off with them.

Mr. Eary also identified Mr. Eteuati in the video footage since the defendant’s home is near his. The house owner told police he was angry and that he was “not in the right state of mind” and did not want to take the law into his own hands. Police told him that the defendant would be taken into custody “to prevent any breach of the peace.”

Police proceeded to Mr. Eteuati’s home, where they found him. Asked if he knew about the puppies, he “had admitted taking them.”

The defendant was arrested at the scene and taken to the TPS for further investigation. The puppies were found and released back to their owner.

Mr. Eteuati was Mirandized and he refused to make a statement. He was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined.