Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man was arrested last month after a woman called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) saying that her brother had been assaulted and was being taken to the LBJ Hospital by ambulance for treatment

According to the government’s case, the caller told police that her brother sustained a big laceration from a rock on the back of his head and a knife wound on his shoulder, after he was allegedly attacked by Felise Upusao, the defendant in this matter.

Investigators learned that the victim’s ex-girlfriend is the sister of the suspect in this matter, and the victim was allegedly assaulted while he was speaking to his ex-girlfriend outside the suspect’s house. The ex-girlfriend was at her brother’s (suspect) house when she contacted her ex-boyfriend to come over to discuss issues regarding their daughter.

Investigators were unable to locate the suspect and a request was made to his family to bring him to the TPS for an interview regarding the alleged incident.

Investigators were told by the victim’s sister that according to her brother (victim) he was outside of the house with his ex-girlfriend discussing issues regarding his daughter when the alleged assault took place.

The ex-girlfriend who was interviewed by investigators said she was not present at the time her brother (suspect) allegedly stabbed her ex-boyfriend and the father of her 3 children, but was there when her brother (suspect) approached them while they were standing outside in the parking lot and immediately struck her ex-boyfriend’s head with a rock.

She said her ex-boyfriend (victim) called out to her to call police for help because he was hurt and in pain — his face was covered in blood. She immediately called 911 for assistance.

The following day when the victim was discharged from the LBJ Hospital, investigators spoke to him about the incident, and he stated that his ex-girlfriend was present when the suspect attacked him with a rock, stabbed him, and they were fighting.

Investigators arrested the suspect at his home four days after the alleged incident and transported him to the TPS for questioning.

The suspect was searched, as per norm, prior to being transported, and during the body search, investigators found a medium baggie in his left pocket containing methamphetamine (meth). Also found inside his left pocket was a hand rolled marijuana joint.

The suspect told investigators that he had just arrived home when he learned from his younger brother that the victim was talking to his sister outside the house.

He said he felt anger inside his heart because the victim left his sister and her children for another woman. This led him to walking to the kitchen, grabbing a knife and puting it inside his pocket. His only plan was to hurt his sister’s ex-boyfriend for what he has done to his sister and her children.

He then walked outside and approached the victim — striking him in the back of his head with a rock. The victim punched him back, so he pulled out the knife from his pocket and stabbed him in the shoulder and the back.

When asked about the illegal drugs found in his possession, the suspect stated that the stuff belonged to him but he refused to say more regarding the illegal drugs to investigators.

During the interview, investigators discovered that the suspect had an active arrest warrant from two years ago for stealing.

THE STEALING CASE

The government alleges that on June 18, 2020, a woman contacted the TPS asking for police assistance after she discovered that someone broke into her house and took her cellphone, a laptop and her purse while she was at the store.

The woman further told police that there were three eyewitnesses who saw Felise Upusao allegedly open the back door of her house and go inside.

Police questioned the three male individuals who allegedly witnessed the event and they confirmed that it was Upusao. Later, when Upusao exited the house through the back door he was carrying things in his hands.