Four men charged for robbery of Wal-Mart

RIVERTON — Four men face charges of aggravated robbery for allegedly pulling a botched heist Sept. 25 at the Wal-Mart on 13502 South Hamilton View Road.

According to charges filed Tuesday in 3rd District Court, Latutaofieiki Fakaosiula, 20, of West Jordan, was talking on his cell phone as two Wal-Mart employees emptied registers and took the cash to the back office. Fakaosiula hung up his phone, and Eric Kamahele, 21, of Cottonwood Heights, and Mataika Kimoana Tuai, 19, of Salt Lake City, entered the store and intercepted the employees as they were leaving the office.

The men pointed what appeared to be a sawed off shotgun at the employees and ordered them back into the office, the charges state. They took the employees' cell phones and walkie-talkies. Tuai ripped the landline phone out of the wall, and they ordered the employees to face the wall.

The men told the employees to open the door to a second cash office, where a third Wal-Mart employee was working, the charges state. The employees knocked on the door, but the other employee saw what was happening and locked the door.

Kamahele and Tuai ran out of the office, and Fakaosiula fled the store.

During the investigation, witnesses told the police they thought the two men were nephews of the night-time loss-prevention officer Vainga Imoana Kinikini, 34, of Salt Lake City, charges state. Police said Fakaosiula told them he planned the robbery with Kinikini and Tuai. He also said he acted as lookout and told Tuai when the money was on the move.

Police also said Kinikini told them he provided information about how the cash was moved and where security cameras were located in exchange for a cut of the loot, according to charges.

Kamahele and Tuai both face three counts of aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies. Kinikini and Fakaosiula both face one count of aggravated robbery, also a first-degree felony.

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