Neighbor allegedly punches boy in the nose for cussing

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 4, 2025, a concerned mother called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and reported that her son was allegedly assaulted by their neighbor.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: 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 imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine not to exceed $300, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

According to the court affidavit, on Sept 4, at about 6:38 p.m., TPS received a phone call from a mother (the reporter) regarding her 13-year-old son, who she alleged was assaulted by a man (the suspect).

Police officers responded to the call and, upon arrival at the scene, they met with the victim and his mother. They briefed the authorities about what happened and identified the suspect as their neighbor, Rennie Vaka.

The suspect was transported to the TPS for further investigation.

The officers spoke with the victim on the scene, He stated that he was hanging out with his little brother and his cousin between their house and the suspect’s house.

As they were hanging out, his little brother dropped his chip bag on the ground. At this time, he cussed at his little brother and told him to pick up his trash. The suspect, who was standing in front of his house, walked up to him and confronted him about cursing and punched him in the nose.

He then ran towards his home and told his mother about what happened. The victim was observed bleeding from his nose.

Authorities also interviewed a witness, and she stated that she was hanging out with her cousin. A few minutes later, the suspect walked towards them and punched the victim in the face. The victim cried and ran home to his mother for help.

The officers spoke with the suspect, who stated that he was standing in front of his house while the kids were hanging out. Not too long, he heard the victim cussing and assumed that he was cussing him out. As a result, he walked towards the victim and slapped him with the back of his hand once.

Both the victim and suspect rent homes in the same area.

The investigation later revealed that this was not the first incident between the two families.

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

The defendant is identified as a 20-year-old U.S national.