Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A Leone man accused of assaulting his wife is being held on bail of $20,000 on charges of assault in the second-degree and third-degree along with private peace disturbance.

The alleged assault occurred in the presence of their children.

The defendant made his initial appearance in the District Court on Monday virtually.

According to the government’s case, police received a call for assistance from the mother of the complainant about a domestic violence incident.

To protect the identity of the victim, Samoa News has opted to withhold the name of the defendant.

The wife told the police her husband slapped her and threw a breadfruit at her and “when we both fell on the floor he grabbed her head and attempted to hit her head to the floor [then] he grabbed her by the neck and [allegedly] choked her. “And when she tried to get up, he used his knee and put it on her neck, kicked her multiple times and slapped and punched her in the facial area multiple times,” says the criminal complaint.

The court document says the wife suffered a swollen dark-colored bruising on her right eye and swollen face and bruises on her body.

Furthermore, the court document states the wife informed the police she was allegedly assaulted two nights in a row. Adding that her husband was under the influence of alcohol.

It’s alleged the assault was prompted when the husband returned home “overly intoxicated” and the wife “showed him her angry face” and that upset the defendant.

During one of the alleged assaults, the defendant grabbed a machete and chopped a sewing machine in half.

According to the criminal complaint, two of their children were taken in for questioning by the police pertaining to what occurred in the presence of their mother and the two boys corroborated their mother’s statement about the assault.

Police apprehended the defendant at his residence.