MARYSVILLE, Wash., June 10, 2022 – Thursday evening, June 9, Marysville Police detectives arrested a 23-year-old Marysville man named Tuli Aumaunofo Tevaga, linked to more than a dozen armed robberies of massage parlors throughout Snohomish and King Counties over the past six weeks; including five that occurred in Marysville.
The suspect, Tevaga, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on five counts of Robbery 1st degree, two counts of identity theft 2nd degree, and one count of trafficking in stolen property 1st degree. If convicted, he is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine up to $50,000, or both. The court may require restitution instead of the fine.
In collaboration with Seattle PD Robbery Unit detectives, the suspect was identified, and a vehicle used in a number of the robberies was located at a residence in Marysville. Detectives eventually observed the suspect, Tevaga, driving away from the home and were able to take him into custody without incident.
Search warrants were conducted on the suspect’s residence and vehicle where detectives located several key pieces of evidence associated with the robberies.
During questioning, Tevaga admitted to more than a dozen robberies, and indicated he targeted the businesses run by members of the Asian community, believing they would be hesitant to report the crimes.
Luckily for detectives, not only did the business owners report the robberies to police, but they were also instrumental in the identification of the suspect and provided both eyewitness accounts and video evidence that ultimately led to the capture of Tevaga.
