Alleged late night assault results in charges filed

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 25, 2025, Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) received a call regarding an alleged assault involving numerous people.

Two suspects were arrested and one of them, Isaako Palepoi was charged with:

Count 1 & 3: Public Peace Disturbance, a 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 & 4: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $2,000.

According to the court affidavit, on Apr. 25th, at around 11:00 p.m, Palepoi (suspect) was intoxicated and assaulted two men. The suspect was also causing a disturbance throughout the village of Lauli’i.

At around midnight, the suspect’s wife contacted the FPS and requested assistance because she was worried that one of their neighbor’s family might attack and assault her husband.

Authorities responded to the said call and upon arrival, the officers met with three unknown men. One of the men stated that it was his brother that was involved in the disturbance.

The officers interviewed the brother, who identified himself as Isaako Palepoi (suspect #1). Authorities detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the suspect’s breath.

According to the suspect’s verbal statement, he was heading home, when he found a man near the elementary school who appeared to be hurt. He assumed that the man was assaulted by the village kids, and he went and tried to understand what happened.

However, while he was trying to find out what happened, a woman, later identified as Leata Naseri started saying rude things to him and called him names. He told Naseri to tell her husband to come and fight because he does not want to hit a woman.

The officers split up and interviewed the parties involved.

One of the officers interviewed a witness who stated that he heard loud voices near his home and made his way towards the noise, where he observed suspect #1 (Palepoi) and Naseri (victim/ suspect #2) having a dispute. He intervened and told suspect #2 to be quiet and told suspect #1 to stop and accompany him back to his house.

In the meantime, the other officer became involved in a confrontation with Naseri. The officer was observed trying to stop Naseri who was screaming at Palepoi’s wife and kid. Naseri kept screaming and caused a disturbance which alarmed the neighbors.

The officer informed Naseri to stop but she turned around and yelled at the responding officer telling him he had no right to talk to her. The officer then apprehended Naseri but she resisted arrest by pulling her hands away. Naseri continued to resist arrest until necessary force was used to make her sit down for her safety.

More officers were dispatched to the scene to assist the responding officers. Palepoi and his family along with Naseri were escorted separately to the police station for further investigation. Upon arrival at the station, the suspects were placed in separate rooms.

Palepoi was Mirandized to which he understood and signed. However, when he was read the second portion of the form, he refused to make a statement.

Naseri was also interviewed and she verbally stated that on the night of Apr. 25th, she heard noises coming from in front of her home. She went outside to check and found Palepoi standing there. She asked him if he was okay but Palepoi cussed at her. She got upset especially when Palepoi told her to get her husband to come out to fight with him. They got into an argument and Palepoi assaulted her by punching her in the face.

Naseri was Mirandized and arrested for confronting Palepoi’s wife and for resisting arrest.

At a later time, another victim was interviewed regarding the incident but he later withdrew his complaint. According to victim #2’s verbal statement, he claimed that he was walking with his friends and playing near the priest’s house.

They were taken by surprise when Palepoi stopped by in an ASPA vehicle and asked who was cursing at him. One of his friends told Palepoi they weren’t talking to him and he asked them again, and what they were doing near the priest’s house.

Shortly thereafter, victim #2 stated that he was taken by surprise when Palepoi punched him four times in the mouth. He quickly ran for his life while Palepoi chased them with the ASPA vehicle, closely. He went straight home and Palepou later came by their house and yelled profanities.

After interviewing victim #2, authorities took pictures of his injuries and requested medical assistance. Officers noted victim #2’s injuries.

Victim #2 informed officers he was not pressing charges but his father pressed charges against Palepoi for disturbing the peace and assaulting his son with the ASPA vehicle.

Both Palepoi and Naseri were booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

Both defendants are Samoa citizens. Palepoi is identified as a 41-year-old man and Naseri as a 33-year-old woman.