The brother of Los Angeles Rams NFL sensation Puka Nacua has been taken into custody by police in Los Angeles, accused of involvement in the theft of a vehicle owned by a professional basketball player.
Arrest Follows Theft of Lakers Player's Car
Samson Nacua, aged 27, was arrested alongside another man, 27-year-old Trey Rose, over the weekend. The pair are alleged to have taken an SUV belonging to LA Lakers rookie Adou Thiero without his permission. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the crime was reported after Thiero's vehicle was tracked to the One Hotel in West Hollywood.
Officers attended the scene following a tip-off from an NBC4 Investigates report. Upon arrival, they discovered that the suspects had valet-parked the stolen car and entered the hotel premises. Police subsequently reviewed security camera footage from the location, which allowed them to identify the men involved.
The swift review of the CCTV evidence led to the prompt arrest of both Nacua and Rose. As of Wednesday evening, both individuals remained in custody behind bars, awaiting further legal proceedings.
A Week of Headlines for the Nacua Family
This arrest brings unwanted attention to the family of Puka Nacua, the Rams wide receiver who has risen to become one of the most prominent stars in American football over the last two seasons. Coincidentally, the NFL player himself has been in the news this week for separate reasons.
During a live stream on Twitch with personalities Adin Ross and N3on, Puka Nacua made controversial comments about NFL officials. In a clip that has since gone viral, he criticised the league's part-time referees, suggesting they make incorrect calls deliberately to gain television exposure.
"The refs are the worst," Nacua stated. "These guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV, too. You don't think he's texting his friends in the group chat like, 'Yo, you just saw me on *Sunday Night Football*? That wasn't PI (pass interference), but I called it'." His remarks risked drawing the ire of league officials.
Samson Nacua's Football Career and Past Incidents
Samson Nacua is no stranger to the world of professional football himself. Also a wide receiver, he played collegiate football alongside his brother Puka during a successful final season at Brigham Young University (BYU) in 2021, where he scored three touchdowns.
His performance earned him an undrafted free agent spot with the Indianapolis Colts, and he has since spent time on the practice squads of both the Colts and the New Orleans Saints. After being let go from the Colts during final roster cuts ahead of the 2022 season, he moved to the USFL, playing for the Pittsburgh Maulers.
His career path then saw him join the UFL's Michigan Panthers, before a brief return to the NFL with the Saints, though he failed to make their final roster for the 2024 season. He has most recently concluded a second stint with the Michigan Panthers, where his time was marred by an unsavoury post-game altercation in which he appeared to strike a fan in the face.
The arrest for grand theft auto marks a significant low in a turbulent period for Samson Nacua, casting a shadow over his family's sporting achievements and raising serious legal questions about his future.
