A Vaitele-fou family regrets helping a man after he turned around and stole their family vehicle and is nowhere to be found. 

The family is hoping that the public might assist them in locating the vehicle.

Fotuotausala Ioane of Vaitele-fou and her husband haven’t had much sleep since Monday. They realised the man they helped had stabbed them in the back.

Mrs Ioane said they knew the man as Steve Matamua of Lalovaea. She said he was a family friend of her husband and claimed he desperately needed help. 

“He was with my husband on Sunday and asked if he can use our taxi to pack his things from where he was, he really needed help,” she told the Samoa Observer. 

“He also took my husband’s phone so we could contact him, make it easier to reach him and have our car returned the next day. We waited on Monday and constant calls were not answered or he would answer and say nothing from the other end…he took off with our taxi.” 

According to the mother of four girls, her husband’s taxi is their only means of income. She said it was the only transport for their children to school.

She said their church minister has been helping them by going from place to place to find Steve but was unsuccessful. 

“They went to the man’s family in Lalovaea and they said he hasn’t lived there for a long time,” she said as the family continue to search for the Lalovaea resident. 

“My husband knows him from when they lived in Lalovaea and were family friends. 

“My husband didn’t think this man would do something like this to us and genuinely wanted to help him when he asked for help…we had to take our older children to my parents in Vaiusu so they can take the girls to school while we try to find our car that Steve has taken off with.” 

The family has also reported the matter to Police on Tuesday and were told by the authorities that he man they are searching for is known to them and allegedly has a history with drugs. 

Mrs. Ioane described the suspect as being in his thirties, tall and skinny. 

She said they will not rest until they find their car that was earned from hard work and are asking the public for help to find Steve Matamua. She added she hopes the man has not caused any damage to the taxi or has given it away in exchange for drugs. 

The Vaitele fou family has asked the public to contact them on phone numbers 7725352 or 7567594 if they know the whereabouts of the suspect or have seen their taxi. 

The number plate of the taxi is T5596 with the TJ Taxi Stand sticker on the side and is a Toyota Probox.