While the older brother of Los Angeles Rams star receiver Puka Nacua was arrested last month for allegedly taking the car of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Adou Thiero without his consent, NBC4 Los Angeles reported Thursday that the incident turned out to be an accident and that Thiero won’t pursue charges.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told NBC4 that Samson Nacua, 27, took Thiero’s car thinking it was his brother’s SUV, which is the same model and color and only about one or two years older.
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The car, originally reported stolen, was tracked to the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood.
Not only was Samson Nacua arrested, but so was Trey Rose, another 27-year-old who rode in the car. Rose told deputies he didn’t even know that the car was reported stolen, the LASD said, per NBC4. He reportedly was swiftly cleared once investigators acquired more information about the incident.
Thiero recognized that it was a mistake and chose not to push for prosecution, according to NBC4, which also reported that deputies ultimately requested the L.A. County Attorney’s Office reject the case.
Thiero is a first-year forward for the Lakers. The Brooklyn Nets selected him in the second round of last year’s draft with the No. 36 overall pick, but he was then traded to L.A. in the NBA-record, seven-team deal that delivered Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
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He played his college ball at Kentucky and Arkansas. So far with the Lakers, Thiero has appeared in 15 games, averaging only 5.8 minutes and 1.3 points across those outings.
As for Samson Nacua, he’s a wide receiver like Puka. And he, too, played at BYU. That’s where he finished his college career, following his stay at the University of Utah. Between the two schools, Nacua spent five seasons, amassing 1,344 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns along the way.
He went undrafted in 2022 and has tried to catch on in the NFL since.
While Puka Nacua has starred in the league, Samson has played in the USFL and UFL, including for the Michigan Panthers. While playing for the Panthers last year, he was notably suspended one game for slapping a fan.
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He was just selected by the Birmingham Stallions in this year’s UFL Draft.
Last month’s news of Samson’s arrest coincided with a turbulent week for the Nacua family. Puka, amid his second Pro Bowl season, was fined $25,000 for his comments about the league’s officiating, which he voiced on a live stream with Adin Ross and on X mere minutes after a Week 16 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He then apologized, just as he had done after promising he would perform an antisemitic touchdown celebration on Ross’ stream. Nacua said in a statement that, at the time of the stream, he had “no idea” the act “was antisemitic in nature.”