Suspect in burglary arrested after butting into cops' investigation
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man suspected of burglarizing the home of an Asian couple in Leone has been charged for interfering with a police investigation.
Isac Atonio 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 Fiti Sunia set bail at $300.
If he's able to post 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 11:23 p.m. on May 21st, the landlord contacted police about a burglary. An Asian couple rents the home in question.
When police arrived at the scene, they spoke to the landlord and in the middle of the conversation, a male, later identified as the defendant, entered the home uninvited and yelled at the landlord's son saying, he didn't break into the house.
Atonio, in the presence of police, then tried to pick a fight with the landlord's son, asking him, "What do you want?"
Even after police officers ordered him to get out of the house and leave the property, Atonio continued to threaten the landlord's son, 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 Atonio was escorted out of the house, the Asian couple identified him as one of the people present when the Asian man was robbed two weeks before, while he was in possession of a bag containing $1,320 cash, three personal phones, and multiple identification cards.
Atonio is scheduled to appear in court June 21st for a pretrial conference.