Domestic violence report lands father in jail

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 12, 2024, two minors walked into Fagatogo Police Station to report their father causing a peace disturbance at their home.

The defendant was apprehended after resisting arrest and charged with the following:

Count 1 & 2: Assault in the Third Degree (As a C Misd.) (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both;

Count 3: Resisting Arrest, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment by imprisonment up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both; and,

Count 4: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class B misdemeanor punishable of not more than six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $2,000.

(Samoa News has withheld names of those involved to protect the identities of the victim and minor in this case.)

According to the affidavit, on August 12, at around 7:21 a.m, a female minor walked into the FPS with her younger brother to report that their father was yelling profanities at their mother, inside their residence in Fagatogo.

Police officers were familiar with the family residence and proceeded to the location. Upon arrival, at about 7:29 a.m, the officers knocked on the door and an unknown female (later identified as the victim) greeted them. The victim was interviewed where she explained that her husband (suspect) made a lot of unreasonable noises and had pushed her around inside their home.

Police officers later asked the victim about her husband’s whereabouts and she said that he was inside the house. As officers were about to enter the house, they observed a male individual walking by at the back of the house heading towards the front and carrying a black backpack. The victim quickly pointed out to the officers that it was her husband.

The suspect stopped when he saw the officers. Authorities then called out to him to come, in which he walked towards them and called out asking why he was being arrested. The officers told him about a complaint that had been filed against him. At the same time, as one of the officers brought his left hand first behind him to be cuffed, the suspect started to resist by forcefully removing his hand and moving around and told them to leave him alone or he will commit suicide.

The officer kept trying to place the cuffs on the suspect but he continued to forcefully resist being cuffed, and started calling out an unknown name several times while he kept his hands in front and refused to be cuffed.

Furthermore, as one of the officers attempted to take the suspect down he threw away the backpack where an unknown male picked it up and ran away with the backpack. The suspect was ordered several times to stop resisting and to cooperate, but he continued to refuse until the officers were finally able to cuff him.

The officers had to pull the suspect up on his feet and place him inside the police unit to be transported to the FPS. The victim was also notified to make her way to the FPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the station, the victim and her daughter were interviewed.

According to the minor (daughter), she woke up to her parents arguing. She heard her dad (suspect) yelling profanities at her mom and her mom was chasing her dad out of the house. The minor continued that she was later told by her mom to go with her younger brother to the FPS to relay what has happened and seek help.

According to the victim (the mother), on August 12, 2024 at 7:00 a.m., she woke up and went into her parents’ room to check on her son sleeping. She explained that she noticed her husband (suspect), who had been gone since Saturday (August 10) in her parents’ bathroom. She stated that she asked him why he was there and he turned around, cussed at her and told her to shut up. The victim continued to explain that her children woke up from the suspect shouting and yelling profanities at her. She stated that she asked the suspect to please leave her house but he refused and told her that she can’t make him leave. She then grabbed her kids and went outside as the suspect continued to yell profanities.

The victim explained that she looked at the suspect’s face, and all she saw was a demon taking him over — as if he was on drugs.

She cried and confronted him for continuously doing this to her and her kids but he replied “shut up and he doesn’t care”.

In addition, the suspect continued to yell profanities, so she asked her daughter and son to walk down to the police station and ask for help. The victim also stated that the suspect told her that “he doesn’t care about her” and he pushed her 2 times where her left side hit the washing machine so she ran with her other two younger kids to wait for the police in the living room.

At around 7:50 a.m, the suspect was Mirandized and he refused to make a statement. The suspect was booked at the FPS and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined and await the next sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 32-year-old citizen of Tuvalu.