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Another domestic violence case where alleged perpetrator found with ice

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 44-year-old man accused of assaulting his wife and threatening to kill her in the presence of their four young children was arrested and he’s now in custody. While arresting the man, police found a baggie of methamphetamine on him.

The defendant made his initial appearance in court two weeks ago.

He’s being charged with five counts, including felonious restraint; unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), all class D felonies, punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, a $5,000 fine or both; along with third degree assault and endangering the welfare of a children, both class A misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year imprisonment, a $1,000 fine or both.

Bond is set at $20,000.

If he posts bond, the court has ordered the defendant to observe the usual restrictions, including not to have any direct or indirect contact with the victim (his wife) and her children.

THE AFFIDAVIT

On June 1st around 9:30 a.m, several police officers responded to a domestic call that was reported by a woman, who was later identified as the victim in this case. The family lives in a rental house in Tafuna.

The victim told police that on Sunday night, May 31st, around 11:20 p.m, she received a phone call from her husband accusing her for having an affair with a man in their neighborhood.

The victim told police that her husband had left her and their young children and was staying with his parents in Ottoville since the beginning of May of this year. She hung up the phone but her phone rang again. This time, her husband informed her that he’s coming to he house to kill her and her lover.

The victim told her husband that she would call police if he comes to the house. She also told him that she’s not having an affair.

The victim stated that all of her four young children woke up when they heard the loud noise from the door, and her husband walked inside the house and forced her cell phone away from her and smashed it on the floor before rushing outside of the house. According to the victim’s statement, her husband then came back in the room few moments later, pushed her on to the floor while yelling angrily — and all this time the kids were at her side.

The victim stated to police that it was then that her husband punched her in the face and choked her while she was trying her best to push him away from her. Her children were crying and calling out her name. She begged her husband to leave the house and not to hurt her or her children anymore.

The defendant stopped what he was doing to his wife and then told his wife that he will kill her and her lover if he finds them together inside the house.

According to the victim’s statement to police, her husband did not leave the house that night — staying in the house until the next morning, Monday, June 1st.

The victim and her children were not allowed to leave the room or call anyone until that morning at around 7:20 a.m when she was able to leave for work and take her children to her sister’s house in Vaitogi.

The victim’s son stayed back with the defendant because he told her to leave their 5-year-old son with him.

Before the victim left the house for work, her husband (defendant) warned her not to tell anyone of their family or her friends what happened. If so, he would come back and kill her.

The victim told police that she was afraid for her life and her children’s safety. She said she reported it to the law so that her husband could be removed from her house. She said she had been asking him to move out since the beginning of this year when she found out that he was involved in drugs.

Several police officers proceeded to the victim’s home in an effort to apprehend the defendant, but couldn’t locate him. Police were told that the defendant had left his parent’s house and was now living with a woman in Kokoland.

One week later police went to the defendant’s place of work where they located and immediately apprehended him. They searched him before placing him in the police unit, and discovered a small baggie containing white crystalline substance that appeared to be methamphetamine.

The defendant was taken to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for questioning and the small baggie containing the white substance was tested by a police detective of the DPS Vice & Narcotics Unit and it yielded positive for methamphetamine.

When asked about the small baggie found in his possession, the defendant told police he bought the small baggie from a friend who dropped him off to work. He refused to reveal the description of the taxi driver or his name to police.

Furthermore, the defendant told police that the reason why he uses drugs is to calm him down while he’s dealing with some problems within his family. He also stated to police that he has no intention of hurting his family — that he threatened them to get their attention.

With the victim’s permission police searched the victim’s home in an effort to locate a gun. During the search, police found several empty baggies used to sell methamphetamine inside the room where the defendant used to stay.

The victim told police that she threw in the rubbish some of the stuff she found inside the room after her husband left the house.