Police call for backup to locate man who allegedly assaulted a minor

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 29, 2025, a police officer requested backup to locate a suspect who allegedly assaulted a minor and caused a disturbance in public.

The suspect fled from the authorities but 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 of $500, or both;

Count 2 & 5: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both;

Count 3: Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both; and,

Count 4: Resisting Arrest, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $5,000.

According to the court affidavit, on Jan. 29th, at about 2:31 p.m., an officer reported via radio to the TPS that an unknown man was causing a disturbance in front of Cost-U-Less (CUL) store.

Police officers immediately responded to the call and upon arrival at the station, they met up with the officer (later identified as the reporter) who called in the incident where he briefed them about what happened.

According to the reporter, he was on his police motorcycle and was waved down by a group of men sitting in front of the Airport Taxi Stand. The men informed the reporter about a man (later identified as the suspect) causing a disturbance and threatening kids with a machete.

An individual pointed out the defendant to the police officer and that’s when he saw the suspect causing a disturbance across from CUL.

He approached the suspect who was wielding a machete in public as if he was provoking violence. The suspect pointed the tip of the machete at him and was not willing to yield. The officer advised the suspect to drop the machete but the suspect refused and responded by saying “no” and yelled profanities at him.

The reporter stated that he continued to talk to the suspect with the intention of calming him down. The suspect then dropped the machete and took off where upon he gave chase and spotted the suspect in the bushes.

The officer stated that at that time he called in and requested backup in locating the suspect. The officers canvassed the bushes and spotted a shed on a treehouse like structure. The suspect was inside the shed pretending to be asleep. The officers called out to the suspect to exit the shed where the reporter/ officer confirmed it was the suspect when he exited the shed.

During his arrest, the suspect repeatedly pulled his hands away and stiffened his body to avoid being arrested. The suspect became hostile and repeatedly pushed the officers away. However, the officers managed to subdue the suspect by taking him down on the ground where he was cuffed.

The officers interviewed the minor, who is the primary victim in this case. The minor stated that he was taken aback when the suspect approached and cussed at him in front of the tire shop. Suddenly, the suspect approached him with a machete, choked his neck and started swearing profanities at the employees of the tire shop.

The victim added that the suspect yelled out threatening remarks in Samoan and said that “I will come and cut you up with the machete.”

A witness was also interviewed and confirmed the allegations stated by the victim, adding that the suspect would have attacked the victim with the machete but fortunately a police officer was waved down and intervened.

Upon arrival at the TPS, the defendant, Ripine Faalemiga A.K.A Pelesasa Asiata was placed in the interrogation room. One of the officers removed the suspect’s cuffs while he was sitting on the chair, where upon the suspect stood up against the officers and spit in the officer’s face and punched him in the chest. The officer avoided further physical contact by exiting the interrogation room.

The suspect was reported to have been drinking alcoholic beverages and was intoxicated during the commission of the crime.

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

The defendant is identified as a 41-year-old U.S National.