By Ryan Taylor
What started out as a simple traffic violation turned into the arrest of BYU running back Manase Tonga Tuesday.
Tonga was pulled over for running a stop sign, a routine stop for police, but when asked for his information, he allegedly lied to police, giving them a bogus name.
After allegedly admitting to using a false name, the police discovered Tonga”s registration was expired and that he had a $207 warrant out for his arrest, said Sgt. Richard Dewey of the Provo Police Department.
Tonga, who had a warrant because of a previously unpaid traffic violation, was arrested by Provo police and booked into the Utah county jail early Tuesday morning, Dewey said.
Tonga is charged with a moving violation, giving false information to the police and an expired registration.
Dewey noted that all the charges are misdemeanors.
“In my opinion, as far as police matters go, it is relatively minor,” Dewey said. “This is not a huge deal; it”s just a matter of someone making bad choices.”
Whether or not the incident is a “huge deal” in regards to Tonga”s position on the BYU football team is still unknown. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall was not available for comment.
“Coach Mendenhall is aware of the situation; however, he is currently out of town and has not had the opportunity to discuss the matter with Manase,” said Jeff Reynolds, BYU Athletic Media Relations assistant. “Once Coach Mendenhall returns, he will gather the necessary details and then determine an appropriate response.”
Last season Tonga averaged 4.5 yards a carry with a 197 total yards and four touchdowns, according to BYU statistics.
Tonga is a junior studying sociology, Reynolds said.
