Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On November 3, 2025, a concerned father called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) requesting help for his daughter, who was allegedly assaulted with a hammer by her husband.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on November 5, 2025.

The victim's husband was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Assault in the Second Degree (DV), a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both.

The defendant's bail was set at $5,000.

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identity of the victim and minor.)

According to the court affidavit, on Nov 3rd, at approximately 8:40 a.m., a man (later identified as the victim's father/ reporter) called the TPS requesting assistance regarding his daughter (the victim) and her husband (the suspect).

The reporter stated that his daughter was allegedly assaulted by her husband using a hammer after she attempted to leave their residence in Pavaiai with their three-year-old daughter.

Police officers responded to the call and, upon arrival at the scene, made contact with the victim, who briefed the officers on the incident.

The victim explained that on Nov 2nd, she wasn't feeling well and she asked her husband if he could get her some medicine for her migraine. However, this upset him, and he instigated a verbal altercation between them.

The victim further stated that the disturbance escalated to the point where he grabbed a hammer and struck the back of her neck. The blow caused her to lose consciousness while she was holding their daughter.

The victim claimed that she fell asleep after getting knocked out and didn't wake up until the morning of the next day, and escaped the house. She went straight to her parents' home in Petesa, where her father contacted the TPS for help.

After the victim's interview, the officers proceeded to the scene in Pavaiai, following the victim's directions. Upon arrival at the scene, they knocked on the door, but no one answered. They canvassed the area, but could not locate the suspect.

At about 11:20 a.m., the victim's father called the TPS and provided the landlord's number, where the suspect was renting. The officers called the landlord but were unable to reach him. At around 1:00 p.m., the landlord finally answered and stated that the suspect was at their residence in Pavaiai with his daughter.

The officers proceeded to locate the suspect in Pavaiai, who willingly provided his statement when he arrived at the scene. However, officers stopped his statement, and he was Mirandized. At that point, the suspect refused to make a statement or answer questions.

The suspect was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The investigation later revealed that at around 4:07 p.m., the victim walked into the TPS, and the EMS was contacted for medical assistance. The victim provided a written statement and was later treated by the EMS. Her vitals were normal, but she had a contusion at the back of her neck next to her shoulders. The officers also observed the swelling on the victim's lower neck. The victim refused to be admitted for further medical assistance.

At approximately 7:02 p.m., the officers seized the evidence (hammer) that was used to commit the assault. The evidence was taken to the evidence room.

The suspect is identified as a 28-year-old citizen of Samoa.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision. Under local law, defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty by the court.]