Results for Police and Crime

Vanisi Tulahe (39) has been named as the fisherman from Ma'ufanga who has remained missing at sea in Vava'u waters since Tuesday. It is believed that he fell overboard from a local fishing vessel, the FV Kelly.

A 26-year old man of Tongan heritage, Gustav Otto Sanft, has been charged with manslaughter by a New Zealand court after his two-year old daughter Amokura Daniels-Sanft was found dead with a gunshot wound at their home in the Auckland suburb of Mangere earlier this year June 2.

No information yet has been released by Tonga Police on how American Dean Jay Fletcher (54) who is charged with his wife's murder escaped a police station in Neiafu, Vava’u last month. A team of Senior Police Officers led by Chief Inspector Meleane Taueli is currently investigating the escape.

A two-year-old boy died on Thursday night October 6, after being accidentally run over by a four-wheel drive vehicle that was reversing at their home in Lapaha. His mother is facing charges of manslaughter by negligence.

Tonga's Attorney General’s Office is asking the United States for a provisional arrest warrant of Dean Jay Fletcher, who is accused of murdering his wife in Neiafu, Vava'u. Fletcher fled police custody on September 29 and sailed to American Samoa in his yacht Sea Oak. Tonga is seeking an extradition - a complex process which is expected to take "some time".

Tonga Police have confirmed late this afternoon that their escaped prisoner Dean Jay Fletcher had been located in Pago Pago, American Samoa this morning where he has been now apprehended.

A 30-year-old year old Indonesian fisherman drowned on Friday night, September 30 after falling into the sea at Tu’imatamoana Wharf at Ma’ufanga in Tongatapu. Police alleged he was under the influence of alcohol.

Tonga's Police are remaining tight-lipped today, over how an accused murder suspect Dean Jay Fletcher managed to escape their custody yesterday and flee on his yacht 'Sea Oak'. He has not been recaptured and was last seen heading out of Tongan waters. It is alleged he beat his wife to death while visiting Vava'u.

After a five hour stand-off a Tonga Police Search and Rescue boat was forced to pull out of a pursuit of the yacht 'Sea Oak' at 4:30pm today, after fugitive murder suspect Dean Jay Fletcher had fired several flares at the small police boat and threatened to set fire to it in northwest Vava'u waters, following his escape from custody in Neiafu earlier. International police services, maritime networks and commercial flights have been alerted for sightings of the desperate man.