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Man allegedly beat his partner over a period of more than 12 hours

American Samoa District Court building
Arrested for felonious restraint involving domestic violence
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man accused of beating a woman was arrested by police and he’s now charged. Matthew Vili made his initial appearance in District Court last week.

He is charged with felonious restraint involving domestic violence and one count of 2nd degree assault involving domestic violence, both class C felonies, punishable by terms of imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine of $5,000 but not less than $150, or both, along with one count of 3rd degree involving domestic violence, a class A misdemeanor, punishable by term of imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of $1,000, but not less than $150, or both.

Bail is set at $15,000.

If he posts bond, the court ordered among the usual restrictions that Vili not have any direct or indirect contact with the victim or her family. If he encounters her in public it’s his duty to peacefully withdraw from her attention.

Vili appeared in High Court last week for his arraignment after he waived his rights to a preliminary examination. During his arraignment, Vii entered a not guilty plea to all the charges against him through his defense attorney.

His pretrial conference is scheduled for next month.

THE CASE

On Jan. 31, 2021 a young woman walked into the Tafuna Police Substation with her father to file a criminal complaint against Matthew Vili for assault. The female was later identified as the victim in this case.

According to the victim’s verbal and written statement she was beaten up badly the night before — from 1:30pm to 5:00am. She said Vili accused her of cheating on him and he beat her up with his hands, hitting her face and body multiple times and continuing to assault her even after they made their way into the bedroom.

The victim told investigators that Vili packed his belongings and threatened to go. The man who owns the house where Vili and the victim lived, then in turn kicked the victim out of his house.

The victim packed her things and tried to leave the house, however, she found out that all three doors of the house were locked from the outside and she couldn’t get out.

The man who owns the house supposedly went to drop Vili off. However, a few minutes later, Vili and the house owner came back. Apparently the victim and Vili got into it again, with the victim fighting back and trying to leave but Vili beat her up again. The victim eventually was able to leave the house with her belongings, when Vili stopped to smoke a cigarette.

However, Vili followed the victim while continuing to accuse her of cheating on him, which led to Vili beating the victim again in front of Luisa’s Laundromat and he only stopped beating her up when the victim begged him to stop. Vili then grabbed her hand and walked her back to the house they lived in.

It was when they arrived at the house that the matter escalated with Vili grabbing her hand and telling her to sit down, while pointing the machete at the victim’s face, threatening to beat her and telling her to go home. Vili then grabbed the victim’s hand and told her to walk to the front of the store with him.

While walking to the front of the store, Vili got hold of a plastic pipe and started hitting the victim with it. The victim begged him toe top hitting her and he did. Vili sat her down, put down the pipe and nicely asked her to go back to the house where they live.

Inside their bedroom, Vili told the victim to go to sleep but the victim says she told Vili she didn’t want to sleep. At this point, Vili then hit her with a 2x4 multiple times, and also hit her with an umbrella, after she got outside the bedroom. Vili then came back into the room and punched and slapped the victim.

A man living next door came and helped the victim gather her things and told her to leave.

Investigators interviewed several witnesses regarding the alleged incident. One of the witnesses was a woman who lives next to the house where Vili and the victim live.

She said that while she heard Vili and the victim arguing throughout the night, and heard what sounded like the victim getting beaten up, she was told by the man who owns the house where Vili and the victim live, that they were just playing.

The witness told investigators from 12:00am to 4:00am she heard Vili and the victim arguing. She heard Vili yelling and the victim crying. At 4:00am she heard something hit the wall. She heard their neighbor knocking on Vili and the victim’s door but Vili would not open the door.

Finally, the witness said she heard what sound like Vili beating up the victim, and she got up and also knocked Vili’s door. Vili opened the door and walked out of the house and when she looked in the room she saw the victim on the floor crying with a 2x4 piece of lumber and a broom stick lying next to her.

Vili was apprehended and transported tot he police station for an interview before he was transported to the TCF where he was booked and detained.