Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A woman contacted Fagatogo police station on June 5, 2023 at 4:30p.m.  claiming that her husband, Tuiala Tuiala, had physically assaulted her on the afternoon of June 3, 2023. 

Responding officers arrived at the scene in Satala around 4:42p.m. and observed a lady carrying her son and walking near StarKist at a fast pace.

Officers called out to her, identifying the woman who had called, and were able to interview her regarding the incident. The woman verbally stated that on June 3, 2023 around 3p.m., her husband, Tuiala, was smoking marijuana and drinking beer in the kitchen. 

She paid no attention to it until he went outside and made a call, and all she heard was him mumbling on the phone. She then approached him outside of their residence about the phone calls, and while she was walking towards him, she could hear him saying “babe” twice. 

The woman stated that’s when she grabbed his phone and told the person on the phone to not call her husband anymore and the person on the other end of the call hung up. She said during that time, her husband attempted to get his phone back and the phone fell and was damaged. 

She then slapped him in retaliation and he got angry, turned around and started punching her — twice on the head, leaving her nose bleeding and her left eye bruised. She said she also fell and almost fainted. 

Afterwards, her husband started making unreasonable noises and swearing. After the scuffle, Tuiala started packing his belongings and was gone for three days and did not return home. 

According to police, the wife said she was two months pregnant and Tuiala was extremely intoxicated and influenced by marijuana. The victim states that she did not contact the police initially because she still loved her husband and hoped he would return home and apologize for everything that had transpired, which he did not. 

The woman told police that rumors at her husband’s place of work indicated that he had been sleeping at the residence of the person he was talking to on the phone the day she was assaulted by him. 

In addition, the victim states she approached her husband at work on June 5, 2023 to inform him that their son was sick and she needed his help, but he refused and walked away. 

Tuiala was picked up by police and upon arrival at the Fagatogo police station at 5:30p.m. he was booked, Mirandaized and later transported to TCF to await the next sitting of District Court, which was yesterday, June 6, 2023. 

He is being charged with 2 criminal counts — one count of private peace disturbance and one count in assault in the third degree. He is currently being held on bail of $400.