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Traffic stop interrupts alleged incidence of domestic violence

American Samoa District Court logo
Joyetter@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man is being held on $30,000 bail on three charges of felonious restraint and four counts of third-degree assault.

Victor Stanley made his initial appearance in the District Court yesterday. He’s accused of assaulting his girlfriend. According to the Government’s case the alleged assaults began in May last year and the incident became a police matter when the girlfriend’s mother reported it to the Department of Public Safety

The mother contacted the Tafuna Police Station (TPS) alleging the defendant would lock her daughter in the room and then he “beats her up.” Police proceeded with the complaint and interviewed the victim. 

Upon arrival at the TPS, according to the investigating officer, a thorough investigation was conducted on the victim’s body where injuries were found including bruises and cuts on her arms and legs observed from a previous assault.

The victim told police the defendant “carries around a pocketknife and would sometimes use it during the [alleged] assault.”

Later, on the night in question, the victim went to her parents’ residence after refusing medical treatment “as it was not safe to go back to her boyfriend’s house.”

The police report further points out the victim moved in to live with her boyfriend in March of last year and it was in May was when the alleged abuse started where she was locked in the bedroom.

“The only time she is allowed to leave the house was when he accompanied her to the store to buy groceries” and the defendant would allow her to visit her family “but only for a short period of time.”

According to the police report, this has been ongoing but was never reported until recently. That most recent incident occurred on August 15, 2022 on the public highway. Police observed a vehicle had screeched its tires before turning at the stop sign near the police station in Tafuna.

Police responded and near the roundabout in front of ASPA, they saw the passenger door open and “someone was trying to jump out of the vehicle.”

It’s alleged when the vehicle came to a full stop, the victim attempted to run away. The police were informed that Stanley had allegedly beaten her in the car and “pinned her head to the vehicle.”

Police approached the driver while he was trying to hide a pocket knife.