Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 35-year-old woman was arrested and charged after police responded to a domestic violence incident in Malaeimi last month. When the woman was arrested, cops found a marijuana joint in her pocket.

The defendant, who appeared in Court last month for an initial appearance, was charged with one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, a felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years, a fine of up to $20,000, along with one count of 2nd- degree assault and one count of 1st- degree property damage, both class D felony, along with one count of PPD and one count of armed with a dangerous weapon, both misdemeanors.

Bail is set at $10,000.

THE CASE

On the early morning of July 18, 2022, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from an off-duty police officer regarding a domestic violence incident in Malaeimi where a couple was fighting and the woman was walking around with a knife threatening to stab her husband.

Several police officers responded to the call and met up with the off-duty police officer standing in front of a store close to the house of the couple involved in the domestic violence matter.

Officers approached a man standing outside of the house and he identified himself as the husband. He told officers his wife was intoxicated and out of control. He had tried to calm her down but she grabbed a knife and tried to stab him in the head. His wife also destroyed most of their personal belongings inside their home.

As officers were speaking to the husband, a female walked from a house next door and identified herself as the wife, who is also the defendant in this matter. Officers confronted the wife and immediately apprehended her and she was placed inside a police unit while officers continued with their investigation.

The couple was both transported to the TPS for further investigation. The husband was interviewed about the situation, where he explained that it all started when his wife found out that he was going to visit his parents in Aua and spend the weekend with them, without her.

The defendant was drinking at the time and became angry. He said, out of nowhere, the defendant threw an unopened beer can at him, hitting him in the back of his head. She then proceeded to throwing everything inside the house outside, including pulling the TV down and shattering other items in the living room.

The husband said he tried to calm her down, but she yelled at him and threatened to kill him. She also attempted to stab him in the head with a kitchen knife but he managed to run away from her, going through the back door. She, however, threw a knife at him, which missed him and hit the back door, while he was on his way to running outside. After which, she went back and grabbed another kitchen knife and threatened to kill him and commit suicide.

Neighbors were standing outside of their home watching them.

Investigators interviewed the defendant after she was Mirandized. According to the defendant’s written statement, she was very angry when she learned that her husband was planning to visit his parents in Aua and spend the weekend with them without notifying her about his plan. She thought that she was left out by her husband.

She tried to ask her husband about his plan but her husband kept accusing her of being jealous and worthless. That’s when everything started. The defendant admitted that she damaged everything inside the house and threatened to kill her husband with the kitchen knife.

Before the defendant was apprehended and transported to the TPS for questioning, she was patted down for weapons and illegal drugs.

During a body search, cops discovered a hand rolled marijuana cigarette inside her pants. When asked about the marijuana joint, the defendant said she don’t know how the marijuana joint got into her pocket. She said she was drunk and knew nothing about the joint.