Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 10, 2025, police responded to a reported disturbance in the village of Vailoa after receiving multiple complaints from neighbors regarding loud shouting and disruptive behavior that alarmed the community.

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 not to exceed $300, or both; and,

Count 2: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of not more than $500.

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identities of the minors and the victim involved in this case.)

According to the affidavit filed in District Court on Dec. 12th, at approximately 9:14 p.m., officers at the Leone Police Substation (LPS) received a call from the village of Vailoa reporting that an intoxicated male was causing a disturbance in the neighborhood by yelling and disrupting the peace.

Officers were dispatched quickly to the area to prevent further escalation and to ensure the well-being of everyone involved, particularly the children who were reportedly present during the incident.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with the reporting party at his residence while other officers proceeded to the suspect’s nearby home. Police found the suspect at his residence and was taken into custody without further incident. He was transported to the LPS for further investigation.

Police briefly spoke with the reporting party at the scene, who provided an initial verbal account of the incident. However, no written statement was obtained at that time.

Officers also informed the suspect’s wife that her husband was being taken to the station for investigation. She declined to provide a statement that evening, explaining that she needed time to calm herself and her children following the incident.

Upon arrival at the LPS, the suspect was advised of his constitutional rights, and police said he acknowledged understanding his rights, but refused to provide a statement regarding the incident.

He was subsequently booked and transported to the Territorial Correctional Facility, where he was confined pending the next available sitting of the District Court.

The following afternoon, Dec. 11th, officers returned to Vailoa to conduct a follow-up investigation. During the follow-up, the reporting party provided a written statement detailing what he observed on the night of the incident.

According to the statement, the reporting party said he had just returned home when he heard loud screaming and yelling coming from the neighboring residence.

He reported seeing the suspect’s wife and children standing outside their home and was told that the suspect had become aggressive during an argument. The reporting party stated that this was the second time such an incident had occurred and that he contacted police out of concern for the family’s safety.

Officers later met with the suspect’s wife, who provided her account of the incident.

She stated that the disturbance stemmed from a verbal argument between her and her husband that began while they were having dinner with their children. According to her statement, her husband arrived home intoxicated and argued with her over money.

She stated that both parties exchanged profanities and that food was thrown during the argument, which frightened the children and caused them to cry. She said she then took her baby and went outside in an effort to calm the children.

The suspect’s wife told police that despite the argument, her husband did not physically harm her or the children that evening.

The defendant is identified as a 36 year-old citizen of Samoa.