A second man has been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of a Tacoma mother of seven last year after she cooperated with a police investigation, court records show.
Apelu Sone Tauanuu, 33, was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder in connection to the Dec. 18 shooting at Oakland Madrona Park. He is also charged with attempting to elude a pursuing a police vehicle in a separate case, court records show.
His co-defendant, Muhammad Takseem Salanoa, 32, also faces the same charges for the shooting. They are both accused of killing 31-year-old Ngaire Tusi, court documents show.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Tauanuu's behalf at his arraignment on Wednesday. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set his bail at $1.5 million for the homicide and $20,000 for eluding police.
Tauanuu and Salanoa were in the same friend group as Tusi prior to the shooting, according to court records. Prosecutors allege that she was killed after providing information to police about James Salanoa, 22, who was related to Muhammad Takseem Salanoa.
James Salanoa was wanted for a rape and kidnapping at gunpoint on Nov. 19. Pierce County prosecutors filed multiple charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping and robbery against him. On Nov. 28, Pierce County deputies located him at the South Hill park and ride. After a police pursuit, Salanoa exited his vehicle with a pistol and deputies opened fire, killing him, a previous News Tribune story reported.
Incident details
Charging papers give this account of what happened:
Tusi was found deceased at about 8:35 a.m. at the park. A witness told 911 that he saw her lying on the ground near a gazebo when he drove by the park. When the witness approached her body and saw blood, he called police, court documents show.
Tusi died from a bullet wound to the head, and investigators said that she appeared to have been sitting at a table in the gazebo when she was shot. Video footage of the park captured the sound of a gunshot at about 2:30 a.m, prosecutors wrote.
When detectives checked Tusi's phone, they found a contact for someone named "Ape." "Ape" was later identified as Tauanuu, according to court records. Tusi's mother allegedly told police that she and Tusi got into an argument the evening before. The mother thought Tusi left with Tauanuu and probably went to a nearby friend's house. Tusi's mother said she wanted her daughter to stay away from the group of friends she was hanging out with, prosecutors wrote.
Tusi's mother also told police that her daughter was accused of being a "snitch" for giving police information on James Salanoa, prosecutors wrote.
Several people who knew Tusi allegedly told police that the victim was picked up by Tauanuu from her friend's house before the homicide. They believed Salanoa and Tauanuu were involved, as well as a female, prosecutors wrote.
Detectives learned from a text message exchange between Tusi and Tauanuu that he picked her up from the friend's house. Tauanuu's black Lexus was seen on video surveillance pulling up to the house, according to court records. Tauanuu was also seen walking up to the house, and Tauanuu's phone showed him arriving at Madrona Park at 2:33 a.m. shortly before the gunshot was heard, court documents show.
Video surveillance from the park showed a Lincoln Town car associated with Muhammad Salanoa arriving around the same time at the park, prosecutors wrote. Then, Tauanuu's Lexus pulled up next to the Lincoln. People were seen in the park under the gazebo where Tusi's body was later found. At 2:44 a.m., the sound of an "obvious gunshot" was heard on video, according to court records. The subjects in the video were seen leaving in Tauanuu's Lexus and the Lincoln remained at the park, documents show.
Detectives believe both defendants left in the Lexus after the homicide because the keys or fob to Salanoa's car was accidentally left at the park.
Muhammad Salanoa allegedly was seen at about 2:51 a.m. being dropped off at a Proctor Street residence. At about 2:58 a.m., police say, Muhammad Salanoa was allegedly in a white van entering the park area. The van drove by the Lincoln, which was parked a short distance from Tusi's body. Detectives believe he was checking to see if police responded to the scene after the gunshot was heard, prosecutors wrote.
At about 3:23 a.m., an unidentified person in a Dodge truck was seen at the park walking near Tusi's body. The person got into the Lincoln and drove out of the area, followed by the Dodge, charging documents show.
Muhammad Salanoa was arrested on Jan. 31. He remains in the Pierce County Jail. His bail is set at $2 million.
Tauanuu was arrested on Tuesday after police saw him driving a BMW on South Stevens Street, according to court records. When officers tried to stop him, he allegedly fled, which began a pursuit on state Route 16. Tauanuu exited the highway at mile post 12, driving into Gig Harbor. He eventually stopped the vehicle and was taken into custody, documents show.
