Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 26, 2024, Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from an individual reporting an elderly man being assaulted.

Police officers were able to apprehend and later charge the defendant with Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree — 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 $500.

According to the affidavit, on August 26th, at about 11:09 p.m, TPS received a call from an individual (reporter) stating that an old man was physically assaulted at the Alamai Gas Station in Leone.

Upon arrival at the Leone gas station, the officers met with the reporter and the victim.

Police officers observed blood, and the swollen left side of the victim’s face, including a tear on his left ear. The victim briefly explained the situation to the officers identifying the suspect as Alefosio Laumoli and that he lives behind the Alamai Gas Station.

The victim was then rushed to the EMS station in Tafuna by police officers while other officers canvassed the area for the suspect. One of the officers was able to identify the suspect, who was found inside his house behind the gas station. The suspect was placed in handcuffs and was transported to the TPS for further investigation.

The victim was interviewed where he stated that he was working and saw a kid (suspect) walking and yelling, and that the kid approached him and he detected a strong smell of alcohol from him. He scolded the suspect and was punched four times in his face, causing him to fall to the ground. When he got up, he saw the suspect running to the back of his house.

The victim is identified as a 70-year-old male.

On August 27th, at about 12:13 a.m, the suspect was Mirandized and he waived his rights and agreed to answer questions and make a statement.

According to the suspect’s verbal statement, the victim is always bothering him and his dad. He alleged that the victim called them names and said that they’re drug addicts.

The suspect admitted that he was furious when he approached the old man if they could talk calmly, but the victim punched him twice in the mouth. The suspect stated that he threw four punches at the victim’s face which made the victim fall to the ground. He then left to go back to his house. The suspect also admitted to having consumed six cans of beer.

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

The defendant is identified as a 20-year-old citizen of Samoa.