Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 1, 2024, at about 1:32 p.m, a concerned neighbor contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report disturbing noises of an alleged assault coming from her neighbors’ house. Police officers later arrested a couple who were allegedly fighting in front of their children.

Both defendants were charged with Count 1: Property Damage in the Second Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The female defendant was also charged with Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both.

Bail for both defendants was set at $1,000.

(Samoa News has not identified the defendants due to the involvement of minors in the case.)

According to the affidavit, on September 1st, at about 1:32 p.m., a female individual contacted the TPS to report her neighbor, who had been screaming like she was getting beat up.

Police officers responded to the call, and the reporter told police her house is about 15 feet away from the house where she heard the commotion. She stated she heard a woman and a man screaming profanities in Samoan, while the kids were crying.

The reporter also said she heard things being thrown and broken inside the house. She noted that she tried to contact the male individual who lives in the house, however her calls went straight to voicemail. She then waited for a few minutes, but the screaming and yelling were getting worse.

At this time, she decided to call the TPS to report the matter because she was worried that something might happen to anyone or the children.

Upon arrival of the officers on the scene, they called out to the male defendant to come outside. When he came outside his house he was shirtless, and officers observed scratches on the male’s chest, neck and stomach.

The officers asked him what happened, and replied, “Nothing happened.” He told the officers that he only had a verbal argument with his girlfriend.

The officers then notified the male defendant that he, his girlfriend and the children would be transported to the TPS for further investigation and for the safety of their children.

The male defendant and his youngest daughter were transported in the police unit while the female defendant and the eldest daughter were transported in a separate unit.

The officers later Mirandized the male defendant and he offered a verbal statement.

According to the male defendant, he was arguing with his girlfriend (female defendant) about him sleeping and not cooking food for the kids.

He stated he woke up and found out that his phone was broken by his girlfriend and the screen was shattered. He then asked his girlfriend if she broke his phone whereas his girlfriend admitted that she had.

He said that he and his girlfriend continued going back and forth screaming profanities at each other in front of their 2 and 6-year-old.

The male defendant explained he walked outside and tried to avoid the altercation however, his girlfriend grabbed him by his tank top and pinned him against the wall. He stated they scuffled and he got out of the house and threw the children’s iPad on the floor, shattering the screen. The male defendant also stated that his phone was a gift from his girlfriend.

Police officers also Mirandized the female defendant and she agreed to make a statement.

According to the female defendant, she was sleeping with her daughters, when she heard her boyfriend asking why were they sleeping on the bed while he sleeps on the floor?

She stated her boyfriend continued to say nonsense stuff and that she grabbed his cell phone and threw it on the floor and caused the screen to shatter.

She continued that they ended up having a verbal altercation and started screaming profanities in Samoan in front of her children. Furthermore, her boyfriend grabbed her children’s iPad and he told her he was going to damage it.

Her boyfriend then walked to the door where she grabbed his tank top and they ended up scuffling.

The male defendant suffered scratches on his chest, neck and stomach. It was also noted that both the boyfriend’s phone and the children’s iPad screens were shattered.

Both the male and female defendants were booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The male defendant is identified as a 35 year-old U.S National whereas the female defendant is identified as 25 year-old U.S National.

The affidavit does not state what happened with the children after their parents were confined at the TCF.