Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On May 26, 2024 at about 9:12am, a male individual identified as Ding Fudong, contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report the break-in of his private vehicle. Around the same time, the TPS received a call from a customer at Happy Mart who requested assistance from police officers. The customer reported that a male individual “tried multiple times to convince her to buy a fuel can with fuel contents inside, in exchange for money.”

The suspects involved in the break-in were later revealed as Aukuso Fale and Faamoemoega Lilio.

Both Fale and Lilio were charged with the following:

Count 1: Stealing — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1000, or both; and,

Count 2: Property Damage in the Second Degree — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1000, or both.

Bail for both suspects was set at $3000 each.

According to the affidavit, when police officers arrived at the scene and met with the customer at Happy Mart, she requested that officers advise the suspect not to bother her anymore. Officers noted that the individual who the customer pointed out as the culprit (Fale) was a known individual from a previous case.

Police officers then responded to the call from the car break-in which was two houses away from Happy Mart. Mr. Fudong expressed his frustration to officers with the break-in due to the damages to his vehicle along with the stolen items. The owner of the vehicle stated that his vehicle was secured the previous night before he went to sleep.

Mr. Fudong explained that he discovered his car was broken into earlier in the morning and the missing items included a fuel can, a set of golf balls, and $10,000 plus cash inside the golf ball tray. Fudong shared that “the golf ball set and cash was placed inside the arm rest prior to the break-in.”

Officers confirmed the break-in of Fudong vehicle’s in observing the damage to the back window of the vehicle.

Police officers became suspicious as they recalled the previous incident with the customer complaining about the male individual trying to pawn a fuel can for money. As the officers spoke to Fudong, “Fale was observed walking by the scene” with the fuel can. The officers approached the suspect and inquired where the individual had obtained the fuel can. The suspect responded that “he found the fuel can next to the victim’s vehicle.”

As officers questioned Fale, a second individual approached. The individual introduced himself as Moe or Faamoemoe Lilio.

He explained to officers that the suspect (Fale) “was trying to fix the broken window on the victim’s vehicle then took the fuel can from the victim’s vehicle.”

Police officers requested that the two men come to the TPS for further questioning, and escorted them to the TPS because they did not have transportation.

When officers interviewed Fale at the TPS, his statement changed.

The suspect stated “he took the fuel can from inside of the victim’s vehicle trunk on [the] early morning at about 1:00am or 2:00am.”

The suspect was Mirandized and agreed to cooperate with the investigation. He admitted to taking the fuel can but denied taking a set of golf balls and breaking into the victim’s vehicle.

According to the affidavit, video footage was retrieved from Coco Mart revealing Fale approaching the counter with a set of golf balls and fuel can trying to persuade the cashier to exchange the items for money. When the cashier refused, the defendant was seen exiting Coco Mart with both items.

Police officers questioned Lilio as to how he knew about Fale fixing the window of the vehicle. His response was that “he was present at the scene”.

Officers were then able to identify Lilio as an accomplice when “he confessed to assisting the defendant to gain entrance into the vehicle.

Lilio was Mirandized and provided his statement regarding the break-in.

Lilio stated “early in the morning of May 26, 2024 at about 1:00am or 2:00am, he and Fale saw the back window of the victim’s vehicle was slightly opened.” It was then that Lilio pushed the window open as Fale climbed through the window to enter the vehicle. In fear of getting caught, Lilio rushed Fale out of the vehicle. Fale climbed out of the window with two golf ball boxes and they tried to fix the window to cover their tracks.

As Fale exited the vehicle, he saw the fuel can and took it out of the trunk of the vehicle.

Officers questioned Lilio as to why Fale exited the vehicle through the back window instead of through the doors. Lilo replied “it would trigger the alarm because it was locked from the outside.”

Police noted that it was observed at the scene that the broken window was without glass.

Both suspects were not informed about the cash in the golf ball tray that was stolen.

The suspects were booked and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) to be confined.

Police officers viewed video footage from Happy Mart which revealed the defendant walking towards a nearby dirt road. Officers canvassed the area and questioned those in the area to see if anyone was able to retrieve the stolen items in the area.

At about 4:20pm on May 26, 2024, a male individual contacted the TPS to report the stolen items that were found by his son on the dirt road behind their house.

The stolen items included cash of $10,300.00, two sets of golf balls, and a fuel can. The estimated value of stolen items including damages and labor for the vehicle totaled $11,885.00.

All items recovered were returned to the victim.

Both men charged are identified as US Nationals.