Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 18, 2025, an individual contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report that she witnessed a man allegedly assaulting a woman inside a vehicle. The officers were able to track down the vehicle and found a battered woman in need of medical attention.

The suspect was arrested and later charged with:

Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both imprisonment and fine;

Count 2: Public Peace Disturbance (DV), a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both; and,

Count 3: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $3,000.

(Samoa News has withheld names of those involved to protect the identities of their children who are all minors.)

According to the court affidavit, on Apr. 18th, at around midnight, TPS received a phone call from a concerned individual (later identified as the reporter), who claimed that he had observed a man assaulting a woman in a vehicle. The reporter gave information regarding the vehicle’s license and told the officers that the vehicle had just made a U-turn at the roundabout in front of the PX.

The officers responded to the call and upon approaching McDonald’s, they observed the reported vehicle traveling northbound. Authorities conducted a traffic stop in front of the bus stop across from the Bowling Alley warehouse complex.

One of the officers approached the driver of the vehicle while the other approached the female that was situated on the passenger side.

Officers observed blood stains all over the female’s top and her face and her left eyelid was also bruised.

The female passenger (hereinafter the victim) was asked to step out of the vehicle so she could be transported to the TPS to be seen by medical personnel that had been requested. The victim was transported to the station while the driver (hereinafter the suspect) was apprehended and placed in the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was impounded and driven to the TPS by one of the officers.

According to the escorting officer, when he approached the driver, a strong alcoholic odor was detected emitting from his breath. Therefore, the officer conducted the Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) on the driver (suspect) whereas he murmured that he’s guilty of what he did to his wife. The suspect failed all three tests.

He also submitted to the breathalyzer test, which provided a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .16%.

The victim was treated by the EMS personnel upon arrival at the station and was later interviewed by the officers.

According to the victim, she and the suspect along with their four children had just flown in on Tuesday night from Seattle. The victim continued that she arranged an evening out for Thursday night so she and the suspect could spend some time together. Prior to their outing, she dropped off her kids at her father’s residence. She then proceeded with the suspect to the night club.

Moreover, the victim stated that the evening had been pleasant until the suspect began bringing up her past and started questioning her. The victim reported that this pattern of behavior commonly occurs when they were off-island and has, on previous occasions, escalated into physical assault by the suspect.

She further explained that following a phone call from her mother asking if she could return home, she and the suspect started walking towards their car. When they got to the car, the suspect started assaulting her by punching her in her face, using his fist several times.

The assault continued in the car while the vehicle was in motion. As a result, she sustained a nosebleed and a broken tooth. The victim could not recall how many times she was assaulted due to the continuous blows to her face.

The suspect was booked and Mirandized where he understood and agreed to make a statement and answer questions.

According to the suspect, he and the victim went out to have fun, but then he saw the DJ at the bar who was the victim’s ex-boyfriend during high school days. The suspect admitted that he got jealous after learning about the victim’s past relationship with her ex-boyfriend. He then told the victim to hurry up and finish her beer so they could leave. The suspect also admitted that he assaulted the victim and he felt guilty of his actions.

The defendant is identified as a 26-year-old U.S national.