Man assaults wife alleging he saw her standing with a demon

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 11, 2025, a man called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and requested assistance regarding his sister, who was allegedly assaulted by her husband.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

According to the court affidavit, on April 11th, at approximately 11:15 p.m., TPS received a report from a man (the reporter) stating that his sister (the victim) was allegedly assaulted by her husband, Apisaloma Filemoni, at their residence in Nu’uuli.

Authorities responded to the call, and upon arrival at the scene behind KT Mart, they were waved down by a man (reporter). The reporter informed the officers that his sister was the victim, and this has been an ongoing issue for years, but the victim refuses to report it.

The reporter stated that he was in the living room watching TV when he saw the victim exit her room with blood on her head, dripping on the floor. He stood up to check on her, and he noticed that the suspect had already left the house.

The reporter added that he contacted the police station, but he did not wish to further involve himself for fear that he would go to jail if he confronted and assaulted the suspect.

The officers proceeded inside the reporter’s residence to locate the victim. The victim was observed sitting on a sofa chair, holding a cold bottle of water against her face to apply pressure to her injury.

One of the officers approached the victim and informed her that she would be transported in the police unit to the TPS for further investigation and medical assistance.

Meanwhile, the officers observed the suspect walking back toward the residence. The suspect was immediately apprehended and placed in the police unit to be transported to the TPS.

EMS personnel later treated the victim.

The victim was interviewed regarding the incident. According to the victim’s verbal statement, “the incident happened very quickly”. She also said that she does not wish to provide any further details, claiming that her mouth and head were hurting.

The responding officer asked the victim how she was assaulted, but the victim appeared to be in shock and was visibly emotional. She further expressed a desire to discontinue the interview, and she refused to provide a written statement.

Upon arrival at the station, the suspect was Mirandized, to which he understood and agreed to provide a verbal statement.

The suspect explained that the first incident occurred in the kitchen. He explained that the victim was washing dishes, and he entered from the back of the kitchen. He claimed that upon seeing his wife, he “believed that she was standing with a demon”.

He admitted to striking the victim on the left side of her face with a closed fist, which was followed by another punch to her facial area.

Moreover, after the initial assault, they went into their bedroom where the altercation continued. The suspect stated that “in his mind, he had a vision that he had just come from heaven, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the victim on the bed”.  He claimed that he got angry again, believing that his wife was the demon.

The suspect confessed that he hit the victim in the back of her head twice with a heavy-duty convoy flashlight. He stated that the victim lost consciousness, and he thought she was dead. He then left the residence and walked away from the scene.

The victim sustained bruising to the left facial area and a one-inch laceration on the back of her head, which caused significant bleeding.

The suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility, to await the next available court date.

The defendant is identified as a 39-year-old citizen of Samoa.