Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 30, 2024, a 50-year-old female contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) and reported that her nephew allegedly assaulted her.

The suspect was apprehended and later charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 days, a fine of $300.00, or both; and

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000.00, or both.

There was no set bail for the defendant.

According to the court affidavit, on Dec. 30th, at about 8:20 p.m., FPS received a call from a female (later identified as the victim) requesting assistance regarding her nephew Anthony Milovale (later identified as the suspect).

The victim alleged that the suspect pushed her and hurt her knee due to the fact that he refused to listen when she scolded him. The victim also stated that this is not the first time this has happened.

Police officers proceeded to the scene and upon arrival an unknown female  approached them and identified herself as the reporter/ victim. The victim pointed out where her nephew was sitting next to the neighbor's Samoan house. The officers immediately apprehended the suspect and secured him inside the police unit.

The victim was interviewed and she stated that she had called the suspect to help her with showering his mother who is bedridden. The victim claimed that the suspect talked back to her and refused to obey her. Furthermore, after the suspect showered his mother, he carried her out of the shower and demanded for her to get his mother’s towel. She told him to watch his tone on how he talks to her.

She stated that the exchange escalated to a physical one where he punched her and missed. The suspect then pushed her multiple times from the front and hurt her knee. The victim was asked if she needed medical assistance in which she refused to be treated.

After the victim’s interview, the suspect was transported to the FPS for further investigation where he was later identified as Anthony Milovale.

Upon arrival at the FPS, the suspect was Mirandized and agreed to make a statement.

According to Mr. Milovale, he was helping out with constructing the grave near their house. When he got home, his aunt (victim) told him to go shower his mother, which he did.

However, after showering her and carrying her out, his aunt scolded him for not sweeping the floor. The suspect claimed that “his hands got tired so he put his mom down on his feet and all of a sudden, his aunt came at him with the broom and hit him multiple times.” He pushed her away, but his aunt kept hitting him, so he aggressively pushed her and she hit her knee.  After that he said he left and went to his uncle’s house.

After the suspect’s interview, he was later booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility awaiting the next available sitting of the District Court.