Alleged domestic assault suspect resists arrest

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 12, 2025, a woman contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and reported that her husband allegedly assaulted her after accusing her of having an affair.

The suspect was arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance (DV), a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both imprisonment and fine;

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

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

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

According to the court affidavit, on Apr. 12th, at around 7:57 a.m., a woman (victim) contacted the TPS to report a domestic dispute between her and her husband, Se’e Sio (the suspect).

The officers were dispatched immediately and upon arrival at the scene, they met up with the victim and she briefed the officers about what happened.

According to the victim’s statement, she stays with her family in Happy Valley while her husband Se’e Sio stays in Vailoa. The victim explained that she went to pick her husband up and everything was good. They went to a take-a-way and bought breakfast and then parked and had a conversation about the future of their family.

All of a sudden, the suspect was in a fury and started to make false accusations of her having an affair with whoever he thought.

As a result, the victim told the suspect to drop her off at her workplace, but instead the suspect turned on the vehicle and headed west. He told her that they were going home where he would beat her up.

She begged the suspect to drop her off but he refused. The victim further stated that she tried to open the car door and attempted to jump outside of the vehicle, but the suspect grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her back in. In doing so, her shirt ripped.

Upon approaching Manu’a’s store in Malaeimi, the victim explained that she got a hold of her phone and tried to contact the police. However, the suspect leaned over to her side and tried to take her phone away.

The suspect then pulled the car over in front of Manu’a’s store and parked there. He grabbed the phone from her and told her to stop. She then opened the car door and ran away from the car.

At this time, bystanders started running towards her and asked her if she was okay. The suspect took off when he saw men walking towards the vehicle.

The victim pointed out to the officers one of the bystanders that helped and witnessed what happened.

The authorities later approached the witness and he verbally stated that he was waiting with his children’s school bus, when he heard someone arguing and he saw a woman holding the side of her shirt that was ripped. The woman got out of the vehicle and he went to see if she was okay and saw the vehicle take off going at a high rate of speed.

The victim refused medical attention and stated she was fine.

She identified the license plate and the vehicle that the suspect was driving to the officers.

Authorities requested assistance from the Leone Police Substation to be on the lookout for the vehicle.

At about 8:06 a.m., traffic officers on the lookout observed the suspect’s vehicle in Futiga. The officers conducted a traffic stop and noticed that the suspect’s vehicle had increased its speed, continuing to head west in an attempt to flee.

The officers dispatched both TPS and LPS that they were in pursuit of the suspect’s vehicle. At about 8:10 a.m., traffic officers reported that the suspect’s vehicle had struck an electricity pole in front of his house.

The suspect was apprehended, and necessary force was used to subdue the suspect as he was resisting arrest.

Sio was taken to the LPS for further investigation.

Police officers from TPS were dispatched to the LPS and upon arrival Mirandized the suspect and he agreed to make a statement regarding the accusation against him.

The suspect stated that he “ran out of patience and wanted to take the victim to talk about them living separately.” He denied all of the victim’s allegations of him hitting her.

The suspect was booked and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility for 48 hours to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 56-year-old citizen of Samoa.