Puka Nacua’s Brother Took Lakers Player’s Car by Mistake, Police Say By Sean Neumann

Samson Nacua, the brother of Los Angeles Rams’ player Puka Nacua, will not be charged in connection with stealing a car from a Los Angeles Lakers player last month, according to new reports.

ESPN and ABC 7 Los Angeles reported that officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Samson, 27, and another man, Trey Rose, will not be charged after taking Lakers forward Adou Thiero’s car on Saturday, Dec. 13.

PEOPLE reported that the Rams wide receiver’s brother and Rose, also 27, were arrested at the One Hotel on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood after police tracked the vehicle to a valet at the location.

Thiero had initially told police that Nacua’s brother and Rose had taken his car without his permission, leading to authorities getting involved. But according to ESPN’s latest report, the Lakers forward told police he did not want to press charges against the two men after authorities discovered that Samson took the vehicle because he believed it belonged to his brother.

According to the outlet, Puka and Thiero have the same, newer model BMW in an identical color, and police said that allegedly led to Samson’s confusion.

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“This matter arose from a misunderstanding involving a vehicle and was promptly dismissed after review by the LAPD’s Office,” Samson Nacua’s attorneys Jason Lampert and Michael Goldstein told ESPN. “The case is now closed.”

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PEOPLE has reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for more information.

Samson is a former football player who played for Brigham Young University before briefly making it to the NFL. In early August 2024, the Los Angeles Rams star’s brother had signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints but was soon waived weeks later and has not rejoined an NFL team since then.

Puca has been one of the NFL’s leading receivers this season, leading the league in total receptions and finishing the 2025-26 campaign second in total receiving yards. 

The Rams star has also made headlines with his comments and appearances off the field, including apologizing after claiming he accidentally made antisemetic gestures on a live stream, during which he also openly criticized NFL referees.