Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 27, 2024, a female individual contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) to report an alleged assault by her husband.

The defendant was apprehended and later charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000 but not less than $150, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

(Samoa News has withheld names of those involved to protect the identity of the victim in this case.)

According to the affidavit, on September 27, 2024 at around 9:22 p.m., a female individual contacted the police station to report that her husband was drunk and allegedly assaulted her. The police proceeded to the call and while approaching near the location, they observed a female approach the police unit from the passenger’s side window and identified herself as the reporter and also victim of the case.

The victim was interviewed and briefly explained what happened. She stated that her husband was heavily intoxicated and had struck her in the face with a closed fist. She also stated that she repeatedly told him to come home with her but he refused. She also said that he yelled profanities and hurtful words at her.

Police officers immediately asked the victim if she needed medical assistance in which she refused and stated, “She’s okay”.

After the interview, the victim gave the authorities a description of the suspect and pointed towards a group of people sitting inside a pavilion. The officers told the victim to get inside the police unit so she could point out the suspect. As the police unit approached the group of people sitting in the pavilion next to the gas station to locate the suspect, the victim stated that her husband was nowhere to be seen. At this time, the victim asked one of her husband’s co-workers if he had seen him, to which he replied back that he was seen walking westbound.

The police unit headed slowly on the westbound lane with the lights on, and observed three males drinking in front of the warehouse just across the road from the shipyard in Satala. The officers asked the victim if her husband was one of those three males and she confirmed and pointed him out.

While exiting the unit, officers observed beer cases and open beer cans in front of the three men. At the same time, an unknown male approached the officers, which the victim later identified as her husband. The suspect was apprehended and officers detected a strong odor of alcohol from the suspect. The suspect was placed in the back of the police unit and transported to FPS for booking process.

Upon arrival at the FPS, the officers interviewed the victim again and she later provided her written statement.

According to the victim’s written statement, around 4:00 p.m. at her work place, StarKist, her supervisor relieved her from work duty due to her being sick. However, her husband insisted that they continue working. It was around 7:35 p.m. that an individual came up to her and told her that her husband wasn’t working. Furthermore, when she went in to get him at the gas station pavilion in Satala, the suspect yelled profanities and hurtful words at her. She continued that after yelling at her, her husband then struck her in the face with a closed fist and she fought back. She also informed the officers that it was the people at the pavilion that broke up their fight.

At around 10:22 p.m., the suspect was booked at the FPS and transported at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 24-year-old citizen of Samoa.