Accused freezer thief a suspect in other burglaries

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A man charged with burglary and stealing is wanted in at least five burglaries in the Western District.

Sitivi Opetaia is alleged to have gone to a home in Pavaiai, entered without permission with a friend while the home was empty of occupants and loaded a white freezer chest into his friend’s truck and drove to his home in Vaitogi.

Alert neighbors called up the home owner and told him about what they were witnessing.  Descriptions of the truck were called into police and an all points bulletin was dispatched for the truck.

The vehicle was spotted by police and taken to the Tafuna substation.

The driver, a friend of the defendant, told police that Opetaia had asked him if they could pick up an icebox from Pavaiai.

They drove to a home in Pavaiai picked up the freezer and he dropped off Opetaia and the freezer behind a residence in Vaitogi.

The police suspect that the defendant is connected to five other burglaries.

During his initial appearance on Wednesday, it was discovered that the defendant’s immigration ID card has expired. Judge Elvis Patea then ordered that Opetaia, whose bail was originally set at $10,000, be held without bail.