Sibling squabble allegedly goes too far

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 4, 2025, a victim of a domestic dispute contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) and reported that her brother allegedly assaulted her.

The suspect was later apprehended and charged with:

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

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

Court records revealed that on August 4, 2025, at about 1:39 p.m., a woman (later identified as the victim) called the FPS and reported that she was allegedly assaulted by her brother, (hereinafter suspect) at their home.

Police officers proceeded to serve the call and while approaching the said location, they met with two young men who introduced themselves as the victim’s relatives and guided them to the precise location of the incident.

Upon arrival at the scene, some of the officers interviewed the victim and the parents while two other officers interviewed the suspect.

According to the victim, she stated that she got mad at the suspect for telling her daughter to go buy cigarettes. She explained that she got upset and started yelling profanities when she was confronted by her brother and they got into a verbal argument.

The victim stated that the suspect slapped her across the face and then walked away and kicked the door. The victim also mentioned that her children were in the room during the incident. At that time, she contacted the authorities for assistance.

During the interview, the officers noted that the victim was in a state of distress. She seemed emotional and was on the verge of crying.

The suspect was apprehended and transported to the FPS for further investigation.

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

According to the suspect, he stated that he “chased his niece to the store to buy cigarettes but she threw the money and walked upstairs”. He claimed that after that, he went back to cooking his food but when he heard the victim yelling profanities, he walked up to her and they got into an argument and he slapped the victim’s face.

There were no visible injuries observed on the victim and she refused medical treatment.

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

The suspect is identified as a 20-year-old U.S National.