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Woman calls the cops after hearing shouting and profanities from neighbor’s house

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reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On November 4, 2024, a concerned neighbor called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report an alleged disturbance from their neighbor’s house.

The suspect was apprehended, arrested and charged with Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six months, a fine of $500, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $300.

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

According to the affidavit, on November 4th, at about 12:39 a.m., a female individual contacted the TPS for assistance. The reporter stated that she overheard noises from the suspect’s house and things being cracked. She also stated that the suspect was shouting profanities in Samoan towards his wife.

She continued that the suspect left the house and walked towards the road and started throwing empty beer bottles and rocks on the road. Luckily, there were no vehicles damaged during the incident. The suspect also struck the village curfew bell multiple times which alarmed the people around the area.

The officers responded to the call and upon arrival observed two male individuals standing in front of a church. The officers asked the individuals if something had happened and they said it was the suspect who was shouting profanities and they pointed out the suspect’s house.

After speaking with the two male individuals, the officers met up with the reporter, who was waiting in front of the Leone Post Office.

She stated that she had just returned home from work when she overheard shouting and the sound of items breaking from their neighbor’s house. She reported hearing a man’s voice shouting profanities in Samoan accompanied by ongoing sounds of things being smashed. The reporter also stated that her parents, who were at home, confirmed that the disturbance had been going on for some time and complained that they couldn’t sleep due to the noise.

The reporter identified the suspect and expressed concerns for the children in the home given the chaos and loud commotion. She directed the officers to the suspect’s house.

Acting on the information provided by the reporter and assessing the need for a welfare check, the officers entered the residence through the side door. Inside, the officers observed two teenage boys and two younger children. A female individual then approached and identified herself as the suspect’s wife. When asked about her husband’s location, she directed the officers to a bedroom in the rear of the house.

The officers proceeded to the room, where they located the suspect who was dressed in a bath towel. The suspect was promptly detained and placed into the police unit and transported to the TPS for processing.

During the interview with the suspect’s wife, she appeared visibly distressed and had signs of prolonged crying. She explained that the incident began after church service at around 9:00 p.m. Her husband had returned home and informed her that their 13 year-old daughter, who had spent the weekend at a friend’s house, would be staying there again that night. The mother stated she disagreed with this, which angered her husband.

However, the suspect proceeded to take their daughter’s suitcase to a car parked outside. Upon returning, he began throwing dishes on the floor, breaking them, punching walls, and making threats while shouting profanities; all in the presence of their children. The mother also added that her husband has a history of losing his temper and becoming aggressive in similar situations.

The officers interviewed another witness who stated that he witnessed a verbal altercation between the couple outside their home and also identified the suspect. He explained that the suspect was shouting profanities at his wife, and as he walked away, he threatened to hurt someone upon his return.

The witness explained that the suspect then walked towards a nearby property, grabbed empty beer bottles and threw them on the road in the direction of his home and a small produce market. He then went to his front yard where his dog was tied, walked the dog back to the main road and while passing a billboard he struck it with the dog’s chain. He continued throwing more bottles onto the road before returning to his house to continue arguing with his wife.

At around 1:50 a.m., the suspect was Mirandized and he refused to provide any statement pertaining to the matter.

He was later booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility until the next available sitting of the District Court.

The suspect is identified as a 43-year-old citizen of Samoa.