While the brother of Los Angeles Rams star receiver Puka Nakua was arrested last month for allegedly taking Los Angeles Lakers rookie Adu Tiero’s car without his consent, NBC4 Los Angeles reported Thursday that the incident turned out to be an accident and that Tierro will not press charges.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told NBC4 that 27-year-old Samson Nacua took Thiero’s car thinking it was Puka Nacua’s SUV, which was the same model and color and only about a year or two older than his.
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The vehicle was initially reported stolen and later traced to the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood.
Not only was Samson Nacua arrested, but so was Trey Rose, another 27-year-old man in the car. The Los Angeles Police Department said Ross told officers he didn’t even know the car had been reported stolen, NBC4 reported. He was reportedly cleared quickly after investigators obtained more information about the incident.
Tiro realized it was a mistake and chose not to press charges, according to NBC4, which also reported that deputies ultimately asked the Los Angeles County Attorney’s Office to dismiss the case.
Tierro is a first-year forward for the Lakers. The Brooklyn Nets selected him with the 36th pick in the second round of last year’s draft, but he was subsequently traded to Los Angeles in an NBA-record seven-team trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
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He played college ball at Kentucky and Arkansas. Tierro has played in 15 games for the Lakers so far, averaging 5.8 minutes and 1.3 points per game.
As for Samson Nacua, he is a wide receiver like Puka. He also played at Brigham Young University. After a stop at the University of Utah, he finished his college career there. Nacua played five seasons at two schools, amassing 1,344 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns.
He went undrafted in 2022 and has been trying to make a name for himself in the NFL since.
While Pukanacua excelled in the league, Samson played in the USFL and UFL, including with the Michigan Panthers. He was suspended for one game last year for slapping a fan while playing for the Panthers.
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He was just drafted by the Birmingham Stallions in this year’s UFL draft.
News of Samson’s arrest last month came during a tumultuous week for the Nacua family. Puka, in his second season at the Pro Bowl, was fined $25,000 for comments he made about league referees, which he made live on air with Adin Rose and on the X show just minutes after an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16. He then apologized, as he did after promising to perform an anti-Semitic touchdown celebration on Rose’s livestream. Nacua said in a statement that at the time of the live broadcast he had “no idea” that the behavior was “anti-Semitic in nature.”