Court Report

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A young woman contacted Tafuna Police Substation last week alleging her husband was making unreasonable noises, yelling out profanities and throwing a laundry basket around in the living room at their residence in Ili’ili. 

Upon arriving at the scene, officers interviewed the young woman, who said that when she told him that she was taking their son to visit her family in Leone, the defendant started yelling at her to not take their son to Leone. In addition to yelling profanities at her, he threw laundry all over the living room and pushed her causing her to fall.

The victim further stated that’s when her sister-in-law entered the house and told the defendant to stop what he was doing — but to no avail. The sister-in-law was interviewed, and she reported that she saw her brother holding a hammer and saying he’ll damage the vehicle that was parked in the front yard, according to court documents.

According to court documents, the sister-in-law said that the defendant then walked out and punched the left side mirror of their truck that was parked in front of their residence, and then came back inside the house and grabbed a curtain rod to hit the victim with, but failed.

On the same day the defendant was Mirandized and signed the acknowledgement of his rights but refused to make a verbal or written statement.

He was charged with one count of private peace disturbance and one count of assault in the third degree.

Bail for the defendant is set at $300.

AFTER BAR HOURS ASSAULT

A man claims he was assaulted early Sunday morning outside of a bar in Tafuna, where a man allegedly punched him in the left side of his face as they left the bar — it was closing. When officers arrived to detain the suspect, he avoided apprehension and was swearing in Samoan.

When cops attempted to apprehend the suspect, he resisted arrest by stiffening his body and hands. The suspect was finally placed in a police unit and was transported to TPS for further investigation.

According to the victim, he was walking across the street with his sister and brother-in-law going to their car, when the defendant started throwing beer bottles on the road and trying to provoke the victim to fight.

The victim went on to say that he told the defendant that he did not want to fight or cause any trouble, but the suspect continued swearing in Samoan and threw beer bottles at his brother-in-law, who then started to approach the defendant, but the victim stopped him and when he turned to say something to the defendant, the defendant punched him in the face.

On the same day at 3:20 AM, Fereti Talalelei was booked and transported to jail to await his initial court appearance, which was on Monday, August 21, 2023.

Talalelei is being charged with 3 criminal counts — one for public peace disturbance and two for assault in the third degree.

No bail has been posted for the defendant yet.

WOMAN REPORTS UNWELCOME “VISITOR”

A woman called the Leone Police Substation on August 9, 2023 reporting that an individual went inside the home of her uncle in Malaeloa and stole a polyester black braided cord string that was on the window frame of the house.

When officers met with the woman she explained to officers that she left the house around 2 PM to grab a frozen case of chicken from their family home next door. After retrieving the case of chicken, she went home to prepare dinner with her daughter, when she noticed the defendant standing inside her home holding the polyester black braided cord string in his hands.

She confronted him for coming into her home unannounced, and demanded that he leave the house and return the stolen item in his possession, but he pushed her away and cussed at her in Samoan, while also telling her that “she doesn’t own this house” and walked away with the stolen item in his possession.

She further stated that her uncle, the owner of the house, informed her two weeks ago that the defendant was no longer welcomed at his home.

Upon arriving at the defendant’s home to locate and apprehend him, police observed the defendant standing outside his home with the stolen polyester black cord string in his possession.

He was quickly apprehended at the scene and transported to LPS to be processed where he was then Mirandized, and opted to make a statement and answer questions.

According to the defendant, he admitted going into the house in Malaeloa to take back his polyester cord string that he bought in Fagatogo, and further divulged that he went straight into the home unannounced and took the item that was on the window frame.

He also stated that he knew he was no longer welcomed there but still went anyway, and also acknowledged that as he was leaving the home, he was confronted by a woman who demanded that he leave the house and return the black cord he had stolen.

He was then ordered to be present at his initial court appearance on August 15, 2023, where he was charged with two counts — assault in the third degree and trespassing.