Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On March 16, 2025, Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) received a call from a concerned father reporting his son who was allegedly causing a disturbance at their home.

He was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both;

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both; and,

Count 3: Property Damage in the Third Degree (DV), a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

The court affidavit stated that on Mar. 16th FPS received a call from a man requesting assistance regarding his son, later identified as Joseph Fa’atiga, who was allegedly causing a disturbance at their house.

Police officers responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene, they observed a man (suspect), who immediately fled when he saw the police unit.

The officers encountered and interviewed the suspect’s mother who provided the authorities with a verbal statement. The suspect’s mother alleged that her son got home drunk and started hitting on her door. The suspect was also making unreasonable sounds to open the door and alarmed the neighbors while they were sleeping.

After interviewing the suspect’s mother, she requested if she could withdraw her complaint against her son since they were unable to locate him. The officers advised her to contact the FPS if the suspect returned home.

At around 3:44 a.m, the suspect’s mother contacted the FPS again and requested immediate assistance. She informed the officers that the suspect had returned home after they left the scene and started smashing window louvers of her home. Police officers responded again and when they arrived at the scene, they found the suspect sitting at the stairs of the second floor of the house.

He was immediately apprehended, and while securing the suspect inside the police unit, the officers detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath and person.

Before transporting the suspect for the booking process, the suspect’s mother and another relative provided a verbal and written statement about the first and second call.

The suspect’s relative verbally stated that the suspect was yelling profanities in Samoan at him and the suspect’s mother. The suspect was also asking about his pocket knife and threatened to stab him with it. During the second call, the suspect came back home and challenged him to a fight and again threatened to hurt him.

Upon arrival at the FPS, the EMS was requested to treat the suspect but he refused treatment and signed a refusal form.

At about 4:25 a.m., the suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 23-year-old U.S National.