Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 26, 2024, Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call regarding an alleged altercation between two families.

Most of the parties allegedly involved were arrested including a minor, but a 68-year-old lady was not due to her medical condition and there are also two other suspects still at large.

Eight individuals except for the minor who were involved were all charged as follows:

Falaniko Vehitike — Count 1 & 2: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500., or both.

Vehitike’s bail was set at $500.

Sosefina Ta’ala — Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both; and, Count 2: Property Damage in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

Ta’ala’s bail was set at $1,000.

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

Saitaua’s bail was set at $500.

Sameli Ta’ala — Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

There was no set bail for Sameli Ta’ala.

Rachael Vehitike — Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both; and, Count 2: Property Damage in the Third Degree, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

There was no set bail for Rachael Vehitike.

Epeli Vehitike — Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

Epeli Vehitike’s bail was set at $2,0000.

AJ Mailagi — Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

Mailagi’s bail was set at $2,0000.

According to the affidavit, on August 26th, at about 3:38 p.m., a female individual contacted the TPS to report a dispute within her neighborhood. She stated there was an altercation between all the parties involved.

Two police units responded to the scene and upon arrival, the officers saw a crowd who were involved in the matter. Police contacted the TPS for EMS assistance to treat one of the parties who was injured.

Officers met with the female individual (reporter) who had called for assistance. She briefed the officers regarding the altercation.

The reporter (later identified as Sosefina Ta’ala) stated that Falaniko Vehitike came to their front gate and told her grandchild to tell her mom to move her car, or he would strike her car with his vehicle.

Sosefina stated that her daughter approached Falaniko and confronted him about what he had said, and he started cursing at her daughter.

Further, she stated that she got angry when Falaniko’s son assaulted her son Sameli. As a result, she grabbed rocks and threw it at the driver’s window causing the window to shatter into pieces.

The affidavit further stated that after the officers interviewed Sosefina, they tried to calm both families; however no one seemed to cooperate. Therefore, all the parties were informed to meet at the TPS for further investigation.

Utilizing one of the police units, the officers transported Sameli Ta’ala to the TPS to await the arrival of the EMS to treat his injuries, while other officers accompanied Falaniko.

Upon arrival at the TPS, Sameli was treated by the EMS paramedics and was later transported to the LBJ hospital for further treatment of his injuries.

According to the affidavit, at TPS, suspect #1, Falaniko Vehikite was placed inside the Patrol Division and Mirandized. He agreed to provide a statement regarding the matter.

Falaniko verbally stated that they were heading home but there was a car blocking their roadway, and he then asked one of the family members to move their vehicle from the driveway but no one wanted to move the car. He explained that because no one came out to move the car, he then tried to squeeze his vehicle through.

Surprisingly, Sosefina’s daughter, who is identified as Maryanne Saitaua, came out and yelled at him and asked him, “What’s his problem?” Falaniko claimed he replied to “move her car from their roadway,” however Maryanne started shouting profanities in Samoan at him and his family. Moreover, Maryanne also asked him if he wanted to fight. As a result, he got angry and then engaged in a fist a fight with Maryanne’s brother, Sameli Ta’ala.

After interviewing Falaniko, the officers interviewed a witness who was present during the altercation between the two families.

According to the witness, he stated that he was trying to separate the two families that were fighting. At the same time, he observed a minor holding a machete which he snatched away from the minor.

He explained that during this same time, he observed Maryanne calling to her family to bring out the gun to shoot the Vehikite family. The witness stated that when his son (AJ) and Vehitike’s son (Epeili Vehitike) heard the threatening remarks made by Maryanne, they came with a metal stick and hit Sameli and engaged in a fight with him.

He stated he also tried to hold back his son and Epeli but he couldn’t. After Sameli got hit with the metal stick, his son and Epeli were nowhere to be seen.

After interviewing the witness, the officers then Mirandized Sosefina Ta’ala where she agreed to provide a written statement regarding the said matter.

Her explanation was a repeat of what she told the officers at the scene of the incident, including throwing rocks at Falaniko’s car window and shattering it.

The affidavit noted that due to Sosefina Ta’ala’s medical condition (high blood pressure) she was released to return home; however, she was advised to appear at the next sitting of the District Court.

After interviewing Sosefina, Maryanne Saitaua was MIrandized and agreed to provide a statement pertaining to her involvement in the incident.

According to Saitaua, she approached Falaniko because he threatened to “strike her vehicle, without hesitation”. Moreover, when she approached him about what he said, Falaniko yelled profanities at her.

She stated she got angry at that point and engaged in a verbal altercation with Falaniko. Her brother arrived on the scene, and Falaniko asked her brother if he wanted to fight. Her brother Sameli told Falaniko that the only reason he came was to check on his mom and find out what was going on.

However, Saitaua claimed that Falaniko approached her brother and engaged in a fist fight. While the two were fighting, AJ Mailagi and Epeli Vehitike came with a metal object and struck her brother. She explained that out of anger she called her family out to bring the gun to shoot the people who assaulted her brother. She also stated that her mother, Sosefina, threw small rocks at the vehicle out of anger towards Falaniko.

Rachael Vehitike was also Mirandized and was willing to provide a statement regarding the incident. According to Rachael, when the incident occurred she approached Ta’a’a’s front fence and damaged it by tearing up the plastic fence (entrance).

Sameli Ta’ala was also Mirandized and agreed to make a statement pertaining to his involvement. According to Sameli’s statement, he was at his house and his mother Sosefina called and stated that there was an altercation between his sister Maryanne Saitaua and Falaniko Vehitike.

Sameli explained that he went with his son (16-year-old minor) to his mother’s house. When they arrived, Falaniko yelled at him and challenged him to a fight in which he did engage in the fight.

After the fist fight, he was angry and told them to come and fight again; however, he was blindsided by Epeli and AJ when they struck him with a metal object (pipe) causing a large bump below his left eye. Sameli identified AJ Mailagi and Epeli Vehitike, as the two who assaulted him with a metal pipe.

Sameli’s son (16 year-old minor) was also Mirandized in the presence of his aunt Maryanne Taala. The 16-year-old waived his rights and agreed to provide a statement regarding his involvement. According to the minor, when he saw his father getting assaulted by AJ and Epeli; he grabbed a 2X4 wood, which was in the back of their car and struck AJ twice in his face.

After interviewing all the suspects, they were booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await their appearance at the District Court; with the exception of Sosefina Taala who was released due to her medical condition.

The minor was also later booked at the Juvenile Detention Center while AJ Mailagi and Epeli Vehitike were still at large.

The suspects are identified as follows:

Falaniko Vehitike is identified as a 53 year-old citizen of Tonga; Sosefina Taala as a 68-year-old citizen of Samoa; Maryanne Saitaua as a 30-year-old U.S National; Rachael Vehitike as a 19 year-old U.S National; and Sameli Taala as a 43-year-old U.S National.

The affidavit did not state any additional information regarding the 16-year-old minor, Epeli Vehitike and AJ Mailagi.