Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 26-year-old man from Samoa accused of attempting to assault another man with an ax is now in custody after he was arrested.

Manaia Vaioleia Selau made his initial appearance in Court last week.

Selau is charged with 1st- degree assault, a class A felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years and not more than thirty years, or life imprisonment.

Due to the seriousness of the alleged crime, the defendant is being held in custody without bail.

THE CASE

On June 11, 2022 around 2:54p.m, a female contacted the Fagatogo Police Central Office requesting assistance regarding an incident that happened in the early morning with a male that her husband sponsors that they had just found about. Two police officers responding to the matter.

Officers arrived at the scene and saw two older males, a young male and an older female sitting in a circle talking amongst themselves in front of a house in Lepua Leloaloa. The female, who identified herself as the reporter, then waved the officers over to talk to them.

The reporter told officers that their male neighbor came to her and her husband and informed them regarding a male (defendant) that they sponsor. The reporter then called over the male neighbor to speak to officers about the matter.

Officers interviewed the neighbor about what happened. According to the neighbor, on the early morning between 2:00-2:30a.m on the same date, he heard someone knocking really loudly on the door of his bedroom. He called out and asked who it was to the person knocking the door, and the person (defendant) called out to him to come out to settle something.

When the neighbor opened the door, the defendant swung a small ax towards him. The neighbor managed to half close the door on the defendant causing the ax to fall on the floor. The neighbor then got hold of the ax, which caused the defendant to ran away from the neighbor.

According to the neighbor, his young children and wife were all inside the room sleeping when the incident occurred. Based on the information received by officers, the neighbor and the defendant live in the same house.

Later on that afternoon, the defendant was apprehended and transported to the Fagatogo Police Central for further investigation.

After he was Mirandized, the defendant refused to make a statement regarding the incident.  He was later booked and confined at the TCF.

VALAAU SIAOSI

Valaau Siaosi was arrested and charged for violating local drug laws when police discovered illegal drugs on his person and inside his vehicle, after it was  pulled over for a traffic violation in May 2022.

Siaosi made his initial appearance in Court last week.

He is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of methamphetamine (meth), both felonies.

Bail is set at $10,000.

THE CASE

On May 23, 2022, Traffic officers stopped a vehicle for speeding and the driver of the vehicle was identified as Valaau Siaosi, the defendant in this matter.

Officers decided to impound the vehicle because Siaosi’s driver’s license was expired. Siaosi was transported to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to await someone with a valid driver’s license to drive the vehicle home.

During a routine body search, officers discovered a glass pipe containing meth inside the rear pocket of Siaosi’s pants. Nothing else was found on Siaosi.

However, during an inventory search on the vehicle at the TPS in the presence of Siaosi, a white envelope was discovered under the passenger’s seat. Inside the white envelop were 3 cut-up straws containing a white crystalline substance inside, along with a small stamp-sized baggie containing a green leafy substance.

Detectives of the DPS Vice and Narcotic Unit were then notified to take over the investigation.

Siaosi was Mirandized and he refused to make a statement.

The white crystalline substance tested positive for meth, and the green leafy substance tested positive for THC, the active compound in marijuana.

ANDREW PUAO

A man from Pago Pago who was convicted of driving with a permanently suspended license is going to jail.

Andrew Puao, who has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 19, 2021, unable to post a $5,000 bond, appeared in Court last week where he was sentenced to 20 months at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF), as a condition of a 5-year probation term.

Puao pled guilty to the initial charge under a plea agreement with the government. With his guilty plea, Puao admits that on the night of Sept. 19, 2021 he operated a motor vehicle while his license was permanently suspended by the District Court.

He had been convicted of driving under the influence three times previously.

When given the chance to speak, Puao apologized for his actions, and asked for another chance to return home to care for his family. He explained that he was driving to the LBJ Hospital to drop off his elderly mother-in-law for her medical appointment, because, no one was available during that time to transport her to the hospital.

The defense attorney reminded the court that despite his client's conviction, it was clear from the police report that there was no alcohol or illegal drugs involved when police pulled him over.

The prosecutor echoed the defense’s motion for a probated sentence, however, she added that a period of incarceration is appropriate for this case, so a message is sent out to other drivers whose licenses have been suspended — that the court will not take these issues lightly.

The court sentenced Puao to 5 years imprisonment; however, execution of the sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation for 5 years under certain conditions.

He is to serve 20 months at the TCF. After 6 months — which includes time served — the court will consider a motion for work release.

Puao is not eligible for trustee status while at the TCF.

LAUTALA REUPENA

A father of four was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of illegal drugs after a neighbor alerted police that he was smoking a glass pipe in front of his (the neighbor’s) home.

Lautala Reupena who was released on a $5,000 surety bond, appeared in court last week for his change of plea hearing. He was charged by the government in two separate cases.

In the first case, the government is charging him with endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine of up to $1,000, or both. This case is pending in District Court.

In the second case, he is charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (marijuana), and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth), both felonies. In this case Reupena has entered into a plea agreement with the government.

According to the conditions of the plea agreement, Reupena pled guilty to the amended charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, to wit; meth, and in return the other charge was dropped.

Upon his guilty plea, Reupena agreed that on July 20, 2021 in American Samoa, he had in his possession a glass pipe that contained meth.

He is scheduled to appear in court next month for sentencing.

BENJAMIN TAISELE

A young man who was accused of being rude and disrespectful to his stepfather was ordered by the court to find another place to live while his matter is pending in court.

Police arrested Benjamin Taisele from his home two weeks ago and he made his initial appearance in Court.

Taisele is charged with public peace disturbance and 3rd- degree property damage, both class B misdemeanors.

The court released him on his own recognizance, subject to certain conditions, including staying away from his home and his stepfather, and he has to find another place to stay while this matter is still pending.

“Do not go back to your stepfather or try to contact him at any way. No phone call or any other form of communication. If you fail to comply with orders of the court, you will be rearrested and held in jail without bond,” the court told Taisele.

Taisele is scheduled to appear in court next month for his pretrial conference.

The government claims that on June 10th around 4 p.m, a man called the TPS and asked for police assistance after his stepson Taisele was very rude and disrespectful towards him. The stepfather stated to police that while he yelling at his stepson, his stepson turned around and threw a tea cup at him.

The tea cup missed him and damaged the glass door of his house. He yelled at his stepson to stop but the stepson yelled profanities back at him.

As the stepfather was giving his verbal statement, officers noticed that he didn’t look well. He was shaking and having breathing problems. EMS was then contacted to check him out and when they arrived and took his blood pressure, and then notified officers that they needed to take him to the hospital because his blood pressure was very high.

However, the stepfather refused to go to the hospital saying he was waiting for his stepdaughter to bring him medicine and take him home.

At the time of the argument, the victim’s stepdaughter witnessed how her brother was trying to assault their stepfather. The daughter told police that he yelled at her brother to stop but her brother grabbed a tea cup and threw it at her stepfather but missed his head.

Taisele was arrested at a friend’s house and transported to the TPS for an interview. After he was Mirandized, Taisele refused to make a statement about the incident.

He was booked and taken to the TCF until the next sitting of the court. There was no alcohol involved.

RONALD TASILEU

A 29-year-old man who was convicted of breaking into a house, was ordered by the court to serve a period of detention of 14 months, as a condition of his 5-years probation.

Ronald Tasileu who was released on bond, was originally charged with 1st- degree burglary and resisting arrest; however, under a plea agreement with the government, accepted by the court two months ago, he pled guilty to the amended charge of 2nd- degree attempted burglary.

With his guilty plea, Tasileu admits that on Apr. 15, 2021, with the intent to steal, he entered his neighbor's home with a machete in hand. Tasileu appeared in court last week for sentencing.

The defense attorney asked the court for a probated sentence, saying that his client is a first offender and has taken full responsibility for his actions. The prosecutor echoed the defense attorney’s submission, saying that the defendant is a young man who made a careless mistake.

In delivering its decision, the court stated that according to the Pre Sentence Report, Tasileu was convicted of 2nd- degree attempted burglary. The court also stated that the defendant told the Probation Office that the reason he went to the house where he was caught was to get drugs from a man who lives at the house. However, the man was not at the house when Tasileu entered.

Tasileu was sentenced to a period of probation of 5 years, subject to several conditions from the court. He has to serve a period of detention of 20 months, however, he will be credited for time served, which was 15 months. The balance of detention will be stayed until further order of the court.

Upon release from prison, Tasileu was ordered to seek and retain gainful employment.