Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 14, 2025, a female individual called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and reported that her brother was allegedly assaulted by another man.

The suspect was apprehended and later charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300 but not less than $150, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree ( As a C Misd.), 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 imprisonment and fine.

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

According to the court affidavit, on Jan. 14th, at approximately 1:52 p.m., a female individual (later identified as the reporter) contacted the TPS for assistance regarding a man known as Darius Seagai (later identified as the suspect).

The reporter alleged that the suspect had assaulted her brother (later identified as the victim) by slapping him in the face.

At around 2:16 p.m., the police officers responded to the said call and upon arrival at the scene, they met with the reporter and the victim where they briefed the officers regarding the alleged assault. After briefing the officers, the victim pointed out the suspect’s residence.

Police officers approached the suspect’s home where they met up with the suspect’s father sweeping his yard. When asked where his son was, the father pointed to their umu or Samoan kitchen area behind their home. The officers located the suspect and apprehended him immediately. He was placed inside the police unit and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

According to the victim’s statement, he was sitting in their umu (Samoan kitchen) with the suspect having a conversation. The suspect then confronted him about an issue from last year and unexpectedly the suspect sapped him in his left ear causing it to ring.

The victim stated that he just stood up, backed off and left. The suspect had been allegedly drinking after work.

A witness was also interviewed and she stated that she was in her home cooking lunch when she saw the suspect heading towards the umu, where the victim was. The suspect called out for the victim and asked to talk with him. She said she saw the suspect slap the victim on the left side of his face, and he kept shouting and shouting, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She then ran over and told the suspect to get out and that’s when she contacted the TPS for assistance.

At the TPS, the suspect was Mirandized and agreed to provide a verbal statement.

According to the suspect, he slapped the victim after confronting him about what he did to his aunt who was like a sister to him. The suspect claimed that last year he caught the victim “slipping by being a pervert and had been checking out his aunt, which he didn’t like.”

The suspect admitted that he confronted the victim and slapped him in the face and he left.

The suspect was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility for confinement until the next sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 25-year-old U.S National.