Two Bay Area men sentenced to life without parole for revenge killing of San Mateo man

SAN MATEO COUNTY – Two Bay Area men were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Wednesday for killing a San Mateo man in 2020 and injuring his two-year-old son as revenge for the killing of one of their grandmothers by his cousin, prosecutors said.

Isileli Mahe, a 34-year-old resident of Oakland, and John Talia Paasi, a 33-year-old resident of San Mateo, were both convicted in March of first-degree murder and assault with a semi-automatic firearm, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

Mahe and Paasi ambushed the victim, Ueta Muasika, when he was in his driveway with his son, shooting him 14 times and his son once, prosecutors said. The killing was planned as retaliation after the victim’s cousin set the house of Paasi’s grandmother on fire in 2019 – for which he was convicted of murder and given a life sentence.

Following a 24-day trial, the jury found an allegation that the defendants laid in wait was true, prosecutors said. The jury further found true that Paasi had a prior felony strike conviction and a five-year prior felony strike conviction.

At their sentencing hearing, overseen by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Michael K. Wendler, Paasi was also sentenced to an additional 12 years and Mahe was sentenced to an additional six years, both to be served consecutively with their life sentences, prosecutors said. Wendler denied probation to both defendants.

Wendler also denied a defense motion for a new trial.

San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said that the investigation did not reveal which of the two defendants pulled the trigger of the gun, which is why neither was charged with an enhancement for use of a firearm, but that both were convicted of murder on a theory of aiding and abetting – meaning that those who assist with the execution of a murder can also face that charge.

“As we stand, they are each facing the reality that they will die in state prison, and for the conduct that they engaged in, that is an appropriate sentence,” Wagstaffe said. “What Judge Wendler described in his sentencing statement in open court … is this was a senseless act that did enormous harm to the families of all concerned – obviously for the victim, but also for the defendants. Their families lose their loved ones.”

Wagstaffe added that the victim’s family was “very satisfied” with the sentence that was passed down.

“What people often forget is the (relatives) don’t just say, ‘Great, justice,’ and happily go about their life,” Wagstaffe added. “Every (relative) I’ve talked to, it stays with them for the rest of their life. They’re punished too.”

Brandon Douglass, Mahe’s defense attorney, said he filed an appeal in the case on Wednesday. Mahe will be assigned an appellate attorney who will review the process and continue pursuing the case, but that process can take multiple years.

“Under the circumstances with the charges the way they are and the special allegations that were found true, the court didn’t really have discretion, unfortunately, so the sentence was basically baked in,” Douglass said. “We’re hoping that, as the appellate process plays out, that Mr. Mahe gets some relief and hopefully can one day get back home to his family.”

A person answering the phone at the law office of Eric Hove, Paasi’s defense attorney, declined to comment.

The convictions followed a 24-day jury trial.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2020, Muasika had been taking his son out from the house and loading him into the car at 1658 Eleanor Drive when a car pulled up in front of the driveway, prosecutors said. A suspect emerged from the car and shot Muasika 14 times with a semi-automatic firearm.

Muasika died at the scene, prosecutors said.

Officers from the San Mateo Police Department carried out an 18-month investigation in which they connected the attack to the killing of Paasi’s grandmother by Muasika’s cousin Fifita Tau, prosecutors said.

In 2019, Tau set a San Mateo house on fire in a gang-motivated attack that resulted in the death of 85-year-old Susana Tonga. Tau was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in San Mateo County in 2022, according to court records.

Each defendant was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, a $10,000 restitution fund fine and more than $12,700 restitution, prosecutors said. Further amounts are yet to be determined.