Tough Love From Sinking Heart: Turning Her Son In

Moeitai Castrellon was watching the morning TV news Thursday when a report made her heart sink.

Staring at her from the television screen was a picture of what appeared to be her 20-year-old son, Richard Micah Mafa Tuvale. The report said police were seeking the man in connection with more than a dozen robberies across northern Orange County.

She quickly flipped to other news shows and soon saw her son’s photo again--confirming her worst fears.

The 41-year-old mother of three suuendly faced what she would later describe as a heartbreaking decision: turn her eldest son in to authorities and see him possibly spend years in prison, or somehow help him elude capture.

“I love my son,” a tearful Castrellon said Friday, saying she feared he would be shot if he remained at large. “I think I saved my son’s life when I brought him in.”

So Castrellon drove to her son’s Stanton home and told him: “Get in the car, we’re going somewhere.” From there, she drove him to the local sheriff’s station.

Tuvale got out of the car and bolted when his mother stopped in the parking lot across the street from the sheriff’s station. Castrellon went inside and told deputies her son was the suspect they were looking for.

Tuvale was arrested about an hour later at his Stanton home.

In a press conference Friday, Sheriff Michael S. Carona lauded Castrellon’s decision.

“She made a very tough decision to have her son arrested, but I think it’s the tough love of a mother,” Carona said with his arm around Castrellon’s shoulder.

Tuvale is suspected of robbing and attempting to rob at least 19 liquor stores and other businesses since November, netting an estimated $7,000 as well as alcohol, cigarettes, root beer and other items.

Tuvale allegedly struck twice in Stanton on Wednesday. He allegedly held up a liquor store at gunpoint, then attempted to rob another store just minutes later as deputies were taking a report at the scene of the first robbery.

If convicted, Tuvale could face more than 10 years in prison, officials said.

Castrellon said she never wavered from her decision to turn in her son, saying her overriding fear was for his safety. In one of the alleged robbery attempts, a store clerk scared Tuvale away by pulling a gun, according to deputies.

Deputy Keith Prinzing said that when he and other officers arrested Tuvale, the suspect told deputies he was armed and pleaded, “Just shoot me; get it over with.” They searched him and found no weapon.

Castrellon said her son had “lost his way,” but she didn’t believe he would have hurt any of the people he is accused of robbing.

Castrellon said she spoke to her son Friday morning.

“He’s mad at me,” she said. “But, as a mother, this is something I had to do.”