Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 7, 2025, a female individual called the Tafuna Police Station (TPS) regarding a man who was allegedly causing a disturbance and also assaulted his mother.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300.00 but not less than $150.00, or both; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (As a C Misd.) (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300.00 but not less than $150.00, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $300.00.

According to the court affidavit, on Jan. 7th, at about 11:45 p.m., a female individual contacted the TPS and reported that a man, Matalo Tualevao was allegedly disturbing the peace.

Police officers proceeded to the call and upon arrival at the scene, they made initial contact with the reporter. The reporter stated that the defendant left the house around 7:00 p.m. to go drink with his friends. When the defendant got back from drinking, he entered the house and started yelling profanities at his family.

She told the suspect “to be careful of his words because the kids were home”. However, the suspect ran outside and started throwing rocks at their house which alarmed the neighbors and prompted them to step outside their homes.

The reporter explained that her husband ran outside and tried to calm the suspect but Tualevao was intoxicated and yelled out profanities at her husband.

The officers also interviewed the suspect’s mother (who is also the victim). The victim stated that as she was getting ready for bed, she heard someone screaming and yelling outside of her home. She ran outside and witnessed the reporter and her husband trying to calm down the suspect.

The victim stated that she intervened and told the suspect to stop yelling late at night. However, the suspect pushed her down and told her that it was “none of her business”.

As a result, she told the reporter to contact the police because she was scared and feared that the defendant might harm her.

The victim further stated that this is not the first time the defendant disturbed the peace at their home. She also fears that the suspect might be using drugs. She explained that most times when the reporter and her husband leave for work, the suspect would always give her a hard time. The victim claimed that the suspect would yell profanities at her whenever she refused to comply with his demands and he was  arrested before for this same offense.

The suspect was arrested at the scene and refused to cooperate when he was Mirandized.

Tualevao was confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility awaiting the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 24-year-old U.S National.