Man peacefully shopping allegedly assaulted in local store

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 29, 2025, a man called the Tafuna Police Substation to report that he was allegedly assaulted by his neighbor at a store.

Soonalole Sione was later apprehended and charged with:

Count 1: 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: 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. 29th, at approximately 8:31 a.m., a man (victim) contacted the TPS to report that Sione (suspect) assaulted him in a store in Mesepa —that he was shocked when Sione entered the store while he was shopping and punched him in the face several times with a closed fist.

Police officers proceeded to the call and upon arrival at the store, the officers were approached by the victim, who appeared shaken. He stated that “everything happened so fast!”

The victim explained that he had just left his residence and was at the store to do some shopping. While standing in line to pay (for his shopping), he was shocked when suddenly the suspect entered the store and began punching him in the face multiple times with a closed fist.

The victim claimed that he doesn’t recall the exact number of times he was punched but emphasized that the attack was abrupt and unprovoked. During the assault, the suspect allegedly shouted, “Now, you see what you get for throwing rocks at my dog.”

The victim further stated that the suspect threatened him by saying “I’ll kill you next time I see you.” The victim also claimed that this is not the first time the suspect has assaulted him, and alleged that the suspect has a history of anger issues and is known for being physically abusive.

The store cashier provided the authorities with surveillance footage from the store  of the incident — showing the defendant assaulting the victim.

The suspect told the officers that the suspect is his nextdoor neighbor and proceeded to direct the officers to where Sione resides. The suspect was observed on the road leading back to his residence and was apprehended and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Sione was Mirandized to which he understood and agreed to provide a verbal statement.

He admitted to assaulting the victim out of anger. Sione stated that he had been waiting for the right moment to act due to the victim’s repeated actions towards his dog. The suspect further explained that he was angry because the victim frequently threw rocks at his dog whenever he passed by his residence.

Sione further admitted that while taking out his trash, he saw the victim entering the store. He then walked into the store and began to punch the victim.

The suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.