Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — An early morning domestic disturbance on December 18, 2025, resulted in the arrest of a man and the hospitalization of a woman following an alleged violent assault inside a private residence, according to an affidavit filed in the District Court on Dec. 19th.

Mr. Ieriko Lutau was charged with the following:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance With Penalty Enhancement(DV), a class C misdemeanor but with a penalty enhancement by one class above the class otherwise provided (class B misdemeanor) punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine not to exceed $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV) With Penalty Enhancement, a class A misdemeanor but with a penalty enhancement by one class above the class otherwise provided (class D felony) punishable by a term imprisonment for up to five years, a fine not less than $150, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the affidavit, authorities were notified at approximately 7:14 a.m. by a family member who contacted a police sub-station to report that her father was allegedly acting aggressively and had physically assaulted her mother inside the home.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations, officers were immediately dispatched to the location, arriving at the residence at approximately 7:30 a.m. and observed a visibly distressed woman sitting outside the home. The woman was crying, appeared emotionally shaken, and showed signs of shock. She pointed toward the residence and indicated that the suspect was still inside.

The woman was later identified as the reporting party.

Officers entered the residence and located the suspect seated in the living room. Lutau was taken into custody without incident and transported from the scene in a police unit while officers continued their initial investigation.

The victim, his wife, was observed to have visible injuries and appeared to be in significant emotional distress. Officers documented her injuries — taking photographs, and contacted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) due to concerns for her well-being.

Because only one police unit was available at the scene, officers instructed the reporting party, the victim, and a witness to proceed to the police sub-station in their own vehicles for further investigation and to wait for medical personnel.

According to the victim’s verbal account provided to officers, the incident began earlier that morning when her husband began consuming alcohol. She stated that this behavior had occurred on prior occasions and that she attempted to stop him from drinking alcohol at that time of day. She reported that her husband became angry and began punching her in the face several times.

The victim further stated that the suspect escalated the assault by picking up a wooden chair and striking her on the top of the head, breaking the chair due to the force used. She reported that he continued to strike her, injuring the right side of her face.

In addition, the victim stated that her husband attempted to strangle her by wrapping an extension cord around her neck. She reported that she was able to escape by pushing him away and screaming for help, which alerted other family members in the home.

Due to her emotional state following the assault, the victim was unable to provide a written statement at the time. Officers documented her verbal statement as part of their investigation.

EMS arrived at the police sub-station at approximately 8:17 a.m. and provided initial medical treatment to the victim. After evaluating her condition, EMS personnel transported her to the hospital for further treatment and observation.

A witness later provided a written statement describing what she heard during the incident. The witness stated that she had been asleep when she heard her parents arguing. Several minutes later, she heard her mother screaming for help. When she attempted to check on her, she found the bedroom door locked. She then alerted her older sister and brother-in-law, who contacted police for assistance.

Before officers arrived, the witness stated that her mother exited the bedroom crying and visibly injured, with redness on her face and apparent pain in her head.

The reporting party also submitted a written statement, stating that she heard her mother screaming for help and learned that her father was beating her inside the bedroom. At the urging of family members, she contacted police to seek assistance.

After being transported to the police sub-station, the suspect was Mirandized which he acknowledged, but declined to provide a statement.

He was later booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility pending his initial court appearance.

Authorities stated that the incident highlights the serious and potentially life-threatening nature of domestic violence. The investigation remains ongoing as officials continue to review the evidence collected in the case.

The defendant is identified as a 51-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. ra]