Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 14, 2026, a man was arrested and taken into custody following an alleged domestic assault incident involving his wife at their residence in Futiga.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, or a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine not less than $300, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

(Samoa News has withheld names of those involved to protect the identities of the minors involved.)

According to the court affidavit, filed in the District Court on Jan. 15th, the Leone Police Substation (LPS) received a call from a woman reporting that she had been assaulted by her husband (later identified as the suspect).

Responding officers traveled to her residence in Futiga to investigate the complaint and conduct interviews with those involved.

The victim told officers that earlier that morning, at about 10:30 a.m., she had gone to her aunt’s house to prepare food for her children. While she was inside the home, the suspect arrived and began pounding forcefully on the door while yelling profanities and demanding that it be opened.

The victim stated that she became frightened by his behavior and eventually opened the door.

The victim further reported that she told the suspect to remain outside because her aunt did not allow him to enter the house. However, he ignored her instructions and walked inside without permission. According to the victim, the suspect went directly into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, removed a plate of food, and walked back out of the house while continuing to act in a belligerent and hostile manner.

The victim followed her husband back toward their residence and questioned him about disobeying her aunt’s rules and about taking the food that had been prepared for their daughter. She told officers that she was upset because the food was meant for their child and had been saved for when the child woke up.

Police said the victim reported that during this confrontation, her husband suddenly struck her once on the left cheek with his hand. Shocked by the assault, she immediately ran back to her aunt’s house for safety. She later contacted LPS to request assistance.

The victim advised officers that her children were not present during the altercation, as they were asleep in another room at her aunt’s house at the time of the incident. She also told police that this was not an isolated event and that similar incidents of violence had occurred previously between her and her husband.

Officers also interviewed the victim’s mother, who was present at the aunt’s house when the incident began. The mother stated that she had just returned from work and was helping prepare food for her grandchildren. She reported that she heard loud banging on the door and yelling, accompanied by profanity.

The mother said that her son-in-law entered the house without permission and went straight into the kitchen, where he opened the refrigerator and removed a plate of food that was being saved for the children. She stated that he then left the house with the food despite being told not to enter the home.

The mother further told officers that shortly after the suspect left, her daughter followed him outside. A short time later, her daughter returned holding the left side of her face and crying, stating that her husband had punched her. The mother said she was shocked and upset by what she saw and immediately supported her daughter.

The mother also informed officers that she has been helping take care of her grandchildren because neither the victim nor her husband are currently employed. She expressed concern about the safety of her daughter and grandchildren due to the ongoing issues between the couple.

Police noted in their report that no visible injuries were observed on the victim’s face or body at the time officers arrived and conducted their investigation. However, officers documented her statement and the statements of witnesses as part of the case.

After completing the initial interviews, officers proceeded to the suspect’s residence.

Upon arrival, they found him still at home. He was apprehended without incident and transported to LPS for further investigation. At the police station, the suspect was Mirandized and declined to provide a statement

He was subsequently booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings.

The defendant is identified as a 38-year-old citizen of Samoa.