Two men will spend the rest of their lives in prison for the 2020 execution-style killing of San Mateo rapper Ueta Savelio Muasika Jr., known as Juice Boi. Today, John “Talia” Paasi and Isileli Mahe were ordered to serve life without the possibility of parole, with judges tacking extra years onto each term according to San Mateo Daily Journal. The same gunfire that killed Muasika also struck his young son in the face. The child survived and has largely recovered.
A jury had previously convicted both men of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait, along with assault with a semiautomatic firearm for shooting the child. The San Mateo County District Attorney's office said in a post on X that prosecutors argued the pair ambushed the father and son and fired multiple rounds.
Isileli Mahe (34) & John Talia Paasi (33) were found guilty by jury of murder, conspiracy, & lying in wait. Oct. '20, they ambushed the victim & his son as they entered a vehicle, firing 14 times, killing Ueta Muasika, & shooting his 2 yr old son once in the face, who survived. pic.twitter.com/DugaD5FnKZ
— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) March 26, 2026
How the ambush unfolded
Prosecutors said Paasi and Mahe lay in wait for Muasika on the morning of Oct. 30, 2020, then moved in as he and his son walked toward a vehicle on the 1600 block of Eleanor Drive. The San Mateo Police Department said Muasika was shot multiple times and his toddler suffered a gunshot wound to the face. Detectives later followed leads across state lines to track down and arrest the suspects. Officials have said the boy has largely recovered but continues to live with partial vision effects.
Prosecutors point to an earlier arson
At trial, prosecutors argued the killing was payback for a 2019 arson that killed an elderly woman and set off a chain of violence, a theory that has been laid out in local coverage. KTVU reported that, according to the prosecution, members of one family were the targets in that earlier fire and that Muasika was later singled out in retaliation. Other local reporting notes that the arson suspect, Fifita Tau, was convicted in that case and received a lengthy sentence.
Family reaction
For Muasika’s wife, Leslie Munoz, the sentences marked a measure of justice after years of waiting and loss. She told reporters she can now tell her son the men will not get out. Relatives described Muasika as a devoted father and a mentor within the Bay Area music community, someone who tried to lift up others even as he worked on his own career. The family has requested privacy as they continue to care for the boy and mourn Muasika’s death.
Legal fallout and next steps
The jury’s finding of the special circumstance of lying in wait made both men eligible for life terms, an outcome prosecutors and family members have said fits the crime. Defense attorney Brandon Douglass has said his client intends to pursue an appeal, as highlighted in recent local reporting. With sentencing now complete, the case moves into the post-conviction phase, where appeals and other legal challenges are expected to follow.
