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Man facing multiple charges claims to be a “bad person” — his life is “messed up”

American Samoa District Court building
Says his only answer is to go to prison and live there forever
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man was arrested last month on the allegation that he burglarized a home in Fagaima before he assaulted an intoxicated man who was walking on the road late at night.

When questioned by police, the defendant, Aroni Iosua said that he wanted to be a bad person and he was committing crimes because his life is messed up and his mother-in-law does not want him home anymore. He further stated that the only place that’s left for him to stay is prison.

Furthermore, Iosua told police that this is the only answer to his many problems in life is go into prison and live there for the rest of his life.

THE CASE

The government stated in its case that around 10:21p.m on Nov. 10th, 2020, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a phone call from a couple asking for police assistance regarding a drunken man who had a severe head injury and needed immediate medical assistance.

The couple further stated to police that they didn’t know who assaulted the injured man because it was late at night.

Several police officers responded to the call and met up with the couple, while assisting the victim with his injuries. EMS also arrived at the scene and immediately transported the victim to the LBJ Hospital for further treatment.

While speaking to one of the reporters, police also received a call from a family in Kokoland stating that a young male attempted to burglarize their home by breaking the back door before he was chased away by family members.

The family told police that the man who attempted to burglarize their home also touched in a sexual manner a female who was sleeping in the living room.

A few minutes later, police observed a young male walking in front of an Asian store in the Ottoville area and immediately placed him in the police unit before they transported him to the police station for further investigation.

Before police interviewed several witnesses regarding the alleged incident, a man who was sitting in front of his home in the Fagaima area where the alleged victim was assaulted, walked over to the area where the police unit was parked and offered his statement about what he saw.

According to the man, he was sitting in front of his house when he saw a young male running from the Kokoland road and continuing west to the Ottoville road. The young male was later identified as Aroni Iosua, who was the male arrested by police on the road.

According to the witness, the young male had stopped to catch his breath when a man probably in his early 40s, very intoxicated, was heading toward where the young male was standing.

The witness said he saw the young male strike the head of the intoxicated man with a long object, causing the intoxicated man to fall on the ground. The young male then reached into the victim’s pocket and took something before he kicked the man multiple times. He then fled the scene.

The witness ran over to offer help to the victim and at the same time, a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. The witness then saw a couple exit the vehicle and approach the victim offering to him help. The couple used their phone to report the matter to police. The witness left the scene and went back to his house not far from the scene where the alleged assault took place.

The couple who reported the incident were also interviewed by police. According to the couple’s statement to police, they were shocked when they saw a severe injury on the victim’s head. That is when they called 911 for assistance. A 4-foot metal pipe was seen discarded on the side of the road, not far from the victim. Police believed that this could be the weapon used by the attacker.

Police also interviewed members of a family in Kokoland regarding the attempted burglary.

According to the female who contacted police, she was at their neighbor’s house when she heard a loud noise coming from her house, where her two minor sons and her 20-year-old sister were sleeping in the living room. She ignored the noise thinking that must be a noise from somewhere else. However, when she heard the noise again, that was when she stood up and made her way to her house.

As she was walking towards the back of the house, she saw a young man wearing a red T-shirt with black shorts standing in the middle of the living room, and that the back door of the house was open.

According to the witness’ statement, after she yelled out to him, the young male immediately exited the house and ran to the back of the house and continued on his way to the main road.

She rushed inside the house and noticed that her 20-year-old sister who had been sleeping was sitting on the couch in the living room. When she asked what happened, her littler sister told her that she woke up when she felt someone touching her chest and stomach.

The witness told police that the back door to their house was damaged during the attempted burglary.

Before the defendant in this matter was transported to the police station for questioning, he was patted down. During the pat down, police found a hard object inside his left pocket. When asked by police about the hard object, the defendant stated that it was a “gun” (glass pipe) for smoking meth.

The glass pipe contained a white crystalline substance that was later tested and found positive for methamphetamine.

After he was Mirandized, the defendant stated that he understood his rights and he wished to make a statement.

According to Iosua’s statement to police, he planned to burglarize a home in Kokoland in an effort to look for money and other essential stuff to sell for drugs. He admitted that he broke the back door of a house with the intent to steal things, however, he left the house after a woman called out to him and stated that she’s calling 911.

When asked if he touched a young woman sleeping on a couch in the living room, Iosua said, no.

He also said that he ran to the road and headed to the Fagaima area where he stopped in front of an Asian store to catch his breath.

Before he reached the Asian store in the area, an intoxicated man approached him and swore at him. He then used the metal pipe that he was holding in his hand to strike the man on the head causing him to fall on the ground. He also kicked the man multiple times, stole the man’s wallet before he fled the scene, heading to the west side going in the Ottoville direction.

While he was walking on the road in front of the Latter Day Saints temple in Ottoville, a police vehicle pulled over next to him and he was immediately arrested by several police officers.

The defendant further stated to police that the glass pipe containing methamphetamine found in his possession belonged to him.

Iosua made his initial appearance in court last month.

He is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine; one count of 2nd degree assault and one count of attempted burglary; one count of robbery in the 2nd degree; and one count of sexual abuse in the first degree; all felonies.

Bail is set at $25,000.