Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two men were arrested on July 31, 2023 after a fight that occurred on the fishing boat, Fetu Ole Moana, that led to the hospitalization of the captain, Fano Pitolau Tovio. The captain sustained a 15 centimeter [about 6 inches] laceration through five layers of his scalp. A CT scan revealed a fracture on his left temporal [lobe], in addition to LBJ doctors advised that Tovio should be intubated.

Court filings revealed that one of the defendants, Arona Arona, stated that the fight started because Tovio punched him first, causing him to hit Tovio back, when they were drinking. Arona said that he was just dancing and having fun when out of no where, the captain punched him in the mouth, which angered his friend, Tito Mamea, and they both started hitting the captain.

Officers interviewed three witnesses on the night of the incident.

The first of the three witnesses, according to the report, stated that he “was in one of the rooms inside the boat when he heard a commotion coming from the front of the boat.” The witness said he heard banging noises and someone swearing loudly in Samoan, and that’s when he went to check on what was happening, and observed his father, the captain of the boat, lying on the floor with Arona and Mamea standing by him, holding steel pipes.

The witness alleged when Mamea saw him, he threw the steel pipe he was holding towards him, and that’s when the witness jumped off the boat and swam to the wharf, where he ran to the Port Security for assistance.

At 11:05p.m, officers interviewed another fisherman who was a witness, and he alleged that the crew members, including the captain, were drinking, and when he stepped away from where they were hanging out to make a phone call they were all calm. However, a while later, when he again stepped away, this time to play on his phone, he saw Mamea walking towards where he was with an injured forehead.

The second witness then ran towards where Mamea came from, and he saw the captain on the ground with blood coming from his face, and allegedly saw Arona standing next to the unconscious captain, yelling and swearing at him.

The second eyewitness then stated he went to look for someone else to help him with the captain, and that’s when the third witness, another crew member, came out of his room and he beckoned him to assist in aiding the captain.

According to the third witness, he was in the room when Mamea suddenly rushed in and grabbed a knife, and that he noticed the injury on Mamea’s forehead. He asked Mamea what was going on, but Mamea just rushed back outside holding the knife.

As responding officers were interviewing the witnesses, other officers were assigned to follow up on the captain of the fishing boat. They attempted to wake the captain up but were unsuccessful, so they proceeded to capture evidence of the captain’s injuries.

Officers then made their way back to the Port and proceeded to the boat where the incident occurred, and observed an individual there, who was later identified as Tito Mamea.

Both Mamea and Arona Arona were Mirandized with Mamea providing a statement. Mamea alleges that he “did not know what happened, but only that he remembers the captain and certain crew members were drinking when he had gone to the other side of the boat.”

After a while, he “heard people swearing and threatening each other, so he went to see what was happening and by then, he saw the captain hitting Arona with something, where they ended up fighting.”

Mamea further stated that’s when he left the boat and that’s when the first witness, son of the captain, called towards him, which started a fist fight between them.

Arona Arona is being charged with three counts – assault in the second degree, assault in the third degree, and public peace disturbance. Tito Mamea is charged with 5 counts —three counts of assault in the third degree, one for assault in the second degree, and one count for public peace disturbance.

Bail for Arona and Mamea have been set at $35,000 each.

The Court report did not indicate when the captain was transported to the LBJ Hospital or what his current condition is.