A man killed a Tacoma mother of seven late last year because he thought she'd cooperated with a police investigation involving his nephew, court records show.
Muhammad Takseem Salanoa, 32, was arrested on a bench warrant Wednesday night in the shooting death of Ngaire Tusi. Prosecutors have charged Salanoa with first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Salanoa's behalf at his Friday afternoon arraignment at Pierce County Superior Court. A court commissioner set his bail at $2 million.
Tusi, 31, was found deceased Dec. 18 at about 8:35 a.m. at the Oakland Madrona Park in Tacoma. 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.
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.
Tusi's mother told police that she was at their apartment the evening before she died. They got into an argument, and, when Tusi left, she was picked up by a friend. Detectives learned from her mother that Tusi was a mother to seven young children, prosecutors wrote.
The mother told police that she wanted Tusi to stay away from a group of people she had been hanging out with, prosecutors wrote. Tusi's mother told police that her daughter was accused of being a "snitch" and providing information to police about James Salanoa, 22.
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 Salanoa. 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 firing, killing him, a previous News Tribune story reported.
Tusi's mother told investigators that James Salanoa was one of her daughter's friends and that they had many mutual friends. Her mother said she knew of Muhammad Salanoa and claimed he was upset about James Salanoa's death, prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors wrote that Muhammad Salanoa was upset that people were cooperating with the police and providing them with information about his nephew. Detectives spoke with people who knew Tusi and claimed she was murdered as retaliation for providing information about James Salanoa to police. Fearful of retaliation, those people did not provide further information and did not want to be identified.
A black Lincoln Town car that was later associated with Muhammad Salanoa was seen through surveillance footage arriving at Madrona Park at 2:32 a.m. The Lincoln arrived first, and later a black Lexus arrived and pulled up next to Salanoa. People were seen in the park under the gazebo. At 2:44 a.m., the gunshot was heard on video, prosecutors wrote.
The people at the park left in the Lexus, and the Lincoln remained in the area. 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 am., an unidentified person in a Dodge truck was seen at the park and walking near Tusi's body. The person got into the Lincoln and drove out of the area, followed by the Dodge, charging documents show.
Detectives later listened to a jail call between an inmate and a woman with connections to Muhammad Salanoa. The woman said she was "stressed" and in a vehicle. She said that she had "Mo's," or Muhammad Salanoa's car, and was trying to hide it on a property but it was stuck. When the inmate asked what car, the woman said "the Lincoln." The woman told him to stop asking questions because they were on a recorded line and to "just watch the news," prosecutors wrote.
The phone number the inmate called was also called by Salanoa two times just over one hour after his car was allegedly seen leaving the crime scene, prosecutors wrote.
On Dec. 18, the Lincoln 's registered owner called to report the car stolen. She said her husband, Muhammad Salanoa, was driving the car at the time and said that it was taken along Hosmer Street in Tacoma.
Two days later, she reported that the Lincoln had been located in the Pacific Avenue area but had no license plates.
Detectives went to her apartment where they located the Lincoln. It had a broken passenger-side taillight. The vehicle did not have any license plates but was an exact match to the vehicle at the park where Tusi was killed, court records show.
Prosecutors wrote that police later reviewed video footage of the apartment's parking garage that showed the Lincoln was there on Dec. 17.
Salanoa remains in custody at Pierce County Jail.
