Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 25, 2023, at about 9:30am, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from a male individual regarding an alleged assault on his wife at their home in A’asu. It was later revealed that the suspect was the victim’s son, Faaliga Jr. Tui.

The defendant was charged with the following:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV) — a class C misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen (15) days, a fine of $300 but not less than $150.00, or both.

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV) — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1,000 but not less than $150, or both.

Bail for the defendant was set at $1,000.

A court affidavit says police officers responded to the call and spoke with the suspect’s father who was also the individual who contacted the TPS regarding his son. He told officers that his son (suspect) struck his wife (victim) with a chair, which caused an injury on her hand. Officers observed the defendant’s un-remorseful behavior, “sitting outside of the house and smoking as if nothing [had] occurred.”

It all began when the suspect was looking for his speaker, his father said. He asked his sisters where his speaker was and his sisters told him they did not know where it was. The father of the suspect found the speaker and handed it to him. The suspect exited the house and began to blast his music, the affidavit said.

It was then that his mother (victim) came out and asked him (suspect) to turn his music down. According to the affidavit, “the defendant became angry and yelled out profanities at the victim.” The victim (his mother) then threw a bottle of water at the suspect and snatched the speaker away, causing an outburst of anger by the suspect.

The suspect then picked up a plastic chair and struck his mother with the chair, causing an injury on her hand. “The defendant also made threatening remarks towards them that he would have killed his entire family if he had a gun.”

In a statement provided by the victim, she confirmed what her husband reported. She explained that “the defendant was aiming for her head but she quickly put her hand above her head to avoid impact and sustained an injury on her right hand.”

Due to the heavy bleeding on her hand, the victim was transported to EMS headquarters in Tafuna to be treated.

It was later revealed that the defendant suffers from schizophrenia and had been apprehended recently for assaulting the victim (suspect’s mother).

Police officers contacted the defendant’s doctor who confirmed that the defendant was a schizophrenia patient, however “he is normal, and safe to be confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF).”

The defendant was transported to the TCF for confinement.

He is identified as a U.S. National.

ENE TOGIA

On December 31, 2023, the TPS was contacted regarding an intoxicated male individual allegedly disturbing the peace in Taputimu. The suspect was later identified as Ene Togia.

The defendant was charged with a count of Public Peace Disturbance — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both.

Upon arrival in Taputimu, police officers met with the caller and owner of the property where the suspect was disturbing the peace. In her statement, the caller reported that she was in her room when she heard someone yelling out profanities and war cries (faaumu).

She (victim) further stated that her brother is Togia’s sponsor and has informed the suspect that he will be leaving on Tuesday, back to Samoa. The victim expressed that “she wants to remove Togia from her home,” which was why she contacted the TPS for assistance.

Togia’s sponsor was contacted and he said that this is not the first incident in which Togia has caused a disturbance at their home. He further explained that this was the main reason he was sending Togia back to Samoa, according to the affidavit.

The defendant was transported to the Leone Police Substation, booked, and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) to await the next sitting of District Court.

The defendant was identified as a citizen of Samoa.