Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Officers responded to a call in Leone last week after a member of a family was allegedly disturbing the peace in the early morning hours.

It is reported that the offending family member had accused his brother of wasting a bag of cement, with the defendant also yelling and swearing towards another brother. The two brothers left their family residence to avoid an altercation, and upon returning in the evening and preparing to rest, the brothers heard the defendant swearing and yelling at his own wife in their room, which alarmed them.

The brothers then approached and told the defendant to stop, but he got angrier and started swearing at his brothers instead. The brothers wanted to calm him down as they were concerned about the defendant’s children who were present during the time the defendant was arguing with his wife.

When the officers tried to approach the defendant at his residence, he came out and started yelling at his brothers for calling the police, and responding officers advised the defendant to calm down but he continued yelling and claimed that the altercation was just between him and his wife. The defendant was then apprehended and transported to the Leone Police Substation (LPS).

One of the brothers provided an account of the incident and stated that “this was not the first time the defendant has disturbed the peace within their family.”

The brother further stated that they have tried to make amends with the defendant many times but he, the defendant, would retaliate and want to fight. The same brother also mentioned that the defendant was arrested previously for assaulting him, where he sustained an injury to his head.

Officers then interviewed his wife, and she stated that the defendant “was angry at their six-year-old daughter for not getting him any water to drink.”

The wife then told the defendant “that their daughter was tired” but the defendant started swearing at his daughter and threatened to throw a cup at her, with all 3 children present in the room.

The defendant was arraigned on July 27, 2023, and is being charged with one count of private peace disturbance.

No bail amount was posted in the court documents, or if he received bail.

ASSAULT CHARGE

A woman walked into the Fagatogo Central Police Station (FCPS) on July 26, 2023 along with her child to file a complaint against her boyfriend, who she claimed assaulted her during an argument in their apartment in Pago Pago.

The woman stated that it started off with an argument that escalated into an assault of her person, including having profanities yelled at her.

According to the court report, the woman said as her boyfriend was yelling profanities at her, she grabbed her child to get away from his tantrums.

She claimed he threatened to stab her, and then proceeded to grab a knife and walk towards her and her son, but she reached and slapped the knife away from the defendant’s hands, and tossed it in the opposite direction, and ran to retrieve her phone in order to contact 911 for help.

As the victim attempted to phone for police, the defendant grabbed a spatula and allegedly hit her hand in order to take the phone away.

The report says the defendant then grabbed and collared the victim, but she kept fighting him off. When the defendant had the victim up against the wall, he threw the spatula away and was allegedly attempting to grab a screwdriver with which to stab her, but by the time he turned around the victim and her one-year old son had escaped and made their way to the FCPS.

The victim sustained minor scratches and cuts on her right hand and a bruised neck, and was tended to by officers at FCPS.

After interviewing the victim, officers headed to the residence of the victim to locate the defendant but instead stumbled upon him at a store across from DYWA, and apprehended him.

A strong odor of alcohol emitted from the defendant during booking and processing, and he allegedly admitted to have been drinking.

In the defendant’s initial court appearance on July 27, 2023 he was charged with — one count in private peace disturbance, assault in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child as domestic violence crimes and one count of assault in the third degree —classified as a class C misdemeanor.

Bail for the defendant is set at $2,000.