Rock throwing incident between elderly man and a minor results in injuries

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On June 17, 2025, an elderly man walked into the Faga’itua Police Substation and reported that he was allegedly assaulted by a minor.

However, it was the elderly man who was later arrested 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 imprisonment and fine; and,

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

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

Court records state that on June 17th, at around 8:20 p.m., a suspect (suspect #1), accompanied by a female, walked into the FPS to request assistance concerning an injury he had sustained during an altercation with another suspect, who is a minor (suspect #2).

Suspect #1 had a swollen and a minor laceration on the left side of his forehead. He alleged that a young male, who is their neighbor, threw a rock at him and struck his forehead. Suspect #1 refused medical treatment twice and stated that he would proceed to the hospital for treatment afterwards.

After being informed of the said matter, police proceeded to the scene to locate the alleged minor suspect. Upon arrival at the scene, the officers met with the minor, who voluntarily went with police, accompanied by his mother as he is considered a minor being 17 years-old.

Authorities also interviewed several neighbors and bystanders who witnessed the incident. Several witnesses informed the officers that it was suspect #1 (the elderly man) that initiated the matter when he cussed out the minor in front of a store.

The matter led to a verbal altercation and shortly after, suspect #1 held a three- foot object in his hand and walked towards suspect #2 while he was in front of his residence.

Moreover, suspect #1 was yelling in a loud manner and threw an object at suspect #2. Suspect #1 then threw rocks at the minor which caused him to retaliate and the two were throwing rocks at each other.

The incident alarmed most of the neighbors who intervened and stopped the situation from escalating. After the suspects were restrained by the neighbors, it was later discovered that suspect #1 sustained a minor laceration and swelling on the left side of his forehead.

A later investigation revealed that a recent dispute within their extended family was one of the main factors that caused the said incident. Suspect #1 is the second cousin of suspect #2 and they are neighbors.

The two suspects were booked with the older one transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility, and the minor to the Juvenile Detention Center — both to be confined to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

While the minor was undergoing due process, his mother was present the whole time, according to the affidavit.

Suspect #1 is identified as a 60-year-old citizen of Samoa, whereas suspect #2 is a 17-year-old U.S National.