Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 1, 2025, a concerned citizen contacted the Tafuna Police Substation to report an alleged domestic dispute when he saw a couple fighting inside a vehicle.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance (DV), a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both imprisonment and fine.

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identity of the victim and minors involved.)

According to the court affidavit, on July 1st, at around 9:26 a.m., TPS received a call from a man reporting that two individuals inside a vehicle were fighting. The vehicle was near a church in Iliili. He informed the officers that he was following the said vehicle.

Police officers responded to the call and located the vehicle eastbound near a laundromat in Iliiili and they immediately pulled the vehicle over. Upon approaching the vehicle, a man (later identified as the suspect) exited from the passenger side of the vehicle where he slammed the door and walked straight up to the officers. The suspect was crying and yelling saying that he wanted to commit suicide.

The officers apprehended the suspect and he was taken to the TPS for further investigation.

The officers also observed the suspect’s wife (later identified as the victim) crying and holding her 3-year-old son while her 2-month-old daughter was in the car seat.

Authorities further observed that the windshield on the passenger side was cracked. The victim was asked to come to the station.

Upon arrival at the station, EMS checked on the victim. No injuries were observed and the victim was stable.

The victim was interviewed and she stated that “it all began on Sunday, June 29, 2025 when the suspect tore all of her clothes. Then, on the day of the incident, she was on her way to the hospital but the suspect wanted to go with her so that he could check his taros that are being sold at the market in Futiga.

It was while they were inside the vehicle, the suspect tried to talk to her but she refused to say anything because of what the suspect had done to her clothes. As she continued to remain silent, they got to Iliiili near a church and she pulled over so they could talk. After they talked, they agreed to go back home.

However, when they exited the church and headed towards the main road, her ex-husband gave way to them, which made the suspect angry. The suspect accused her of cheating and saying this is why she wanted to come by herself.

She then turned back to the church area because she could not focus with the suspect accusing and yelling at her. She told the suspect that her ex-husband has 3 children and she has nothing to do with him. The suspect grabbed his flashlight and started smashing the windshield from inside the vehicle while their 3 year-old son and 2 months old daughter were inside the vehicle. When she tried to stop him, he kept smashing the windshield until the flashlight broke.

After smashing the windshield, the suspect kept yelling at her and told her to go straight to the police station. That’s when they left the church and tried to come to the police station.

The suspect was Mirandized to which he understood and refused to make a statement.

He was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The reporter was later interviewed and stated that he left the store after buying groceries and he heard the suspect yelling. When he looked over, he saw the suspect yelling from inside the vehicle while the vehicle was on the main road obstructing the westbound lane. He explained that he saw the suspect and the victim fighting, so he contacted the-TPS to report the matter while following the vehicle.

The defendant is identified as a 34-year-old citizen of Samoa.