Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 30, 2025, a man called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report that a man allegedly broke into their house and attempted to break into his 14-year-old sister’s room.
The suspect was later arrested and charged with:
Count 1, 2, & 5: Rape, a class B felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to fifteen years;
Count 3 & 4: Sodomy, a class B felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to fifteen days; and,
Count 6: Trespass, a class B misdemeanor punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both.
The defendant’s bail was set at $20,000.
(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identity of the minor who is the victim in this case.)
According to the court affidavit, on Jan. 30th, at about 4:30 p.m., a man reported an intruder had allegedly broken into their house. Police officers responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene at about 4:41 p.m., they made contact with the reporter who briefed the officers regarding his call.
The reporter alleged that someone broke into their house and attempted to break into his 14-year-old sister’s room. He explained that he was walking around their house and noticed the screen wire of his sister’s room was torn. He asked his sister why the window was damaged and she told him that “a guy was peeping at her early Monday morning (Jan. 27, 2025).
The officers later made contact with the victim, who provided further details than what she had disclosed to her brother.
The victim stated that she knew the name of the intruder/ suspect whom she had met on Instagram.
The suspect was later located and escorted to the TPS for further investigation. The victim and her family also came to TPS in their family vehicle.
According to the victim’s verbal and written statement, she stated that the break-in incident occurred on Monday (Jan.27th) at about 4am. She heard a noise from outside of her room and she thought it was their dog. However, she saw a hand moving from outside of her room’s window. She then got up and she heard a knock on the door and she saw someone walking around her house. She went back to sleep when she thought that the person had left.
A few minutes later, she heard a noise again from the window. She checked a second time and saw a shadow by their kitchen counter like a head moving around. She then ran to her room and closed the door but the intruder held on the door knob and tried to force the door open. The victim continued that she was able to push the intruder away and locked the door.
The victim explained that she suspected that she knew the intruder because of a tattoo that she saw on his right arm. She also said that prior to the break-in, she and the intruder argued on Instagram messenger and he had threatened that he would come by her house.
The victim further revealed having a sexual relationship with the suspect/ intruder.
She said that it all began on Jan. 15, 2025 when she had a sexual relationship with the 20-year-old on Instagram and that the suspect had sex with her three times at her family home.
The victim claimed that the first time she had sex with the suspect was on January 18th, at about 11:00 p.m. She said that they messaged each other via Instagram to meet at her house. Later on that night, she unlocked the door and escorted the suspect into her bedroom and the suspect expressed his feelings for her and then forcibly grabbed her face and kissed her. He then had sexual intercourse with her and she told him that he was hurting her.
The victim also explained that the second time she had sexual intercourse with the suspect was Monday night (Jan. 20th) at about 11:30 p.m. On the same night, the suspect asked her repeatedly to have sex again but she refused. However, the suspect continued to perform sexual acts on her forcibly.
The third time was on Tuesday (Jan. 21st) at her family home. She alleged that the suspect took off her clothes and performed sexual acts on her.
The officers informed the suspect about the case in which his name was mentioned as having a relationship with a minor. The suspect stated in Samoan saying that “they are in a relationship and he loves her because they had already slept together”.
The officers then stopped the suspect from saying more and Mirandized him to which he understood and consented to provide a statement.
According to the suspect’s written and verbal statement, it was the victim that kept calling and messaging him to come to her house where they ended up having sex.
He stated that the first night he slept at the victim’s house was on Jan.18th, where they had sex. He stated that the victim told him how to get to her house and he went and met her. The suspect collaborated the victim’s statement about the first time they had sex.
The suspect further stated that “almost a week they were still doing this but on Thursday night, they had an argument.”
He said that the victim was tired and told him that she didn’t answer his call because she was sleeping. He then lied to the victim that he came to her house and saw a guy inside her room. The victim responded that there was no one inside her room and that she was sleeping.
The suspect told the victim he was lying and was just playing around. However, the victim got mad and she said she would never talk to him again.
The suspect claimed that Wednesday night was the last time he hung out with the victim and Thursday they were “separated”.
The suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility for 48 hours, awaiting the next available sitting of the District Court.
The defendant is identified as a 20-year-old citizen of Samoa.
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