Neighbor brings woman to TPS after she was allegedly assaulted by her husband

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On June 8, 2025, a victim of a domestic dispute assisted by her neighbor walked into the Tafuna Police Substation to report an alleged assault by the victim’s husband.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of up to $300, or both imprisonment and fine;

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

Count 3: False Imprisonment (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

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

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identity of the victim and her children in this case.)

According to the court affidavit, on June 8th, at approximately 12:17 a.m., a man (later identified as the reporter) arrived at the TPS accompanied by a woman (later identified as the victim).

Preliminary information disclosed that the victim was allegedly assaulted by her husband (later identified as the suspect), at their residence.

According to the reporter, he informed the authorities that the victim is his neighbor. He explained that while he was at work, a co-worker informed him that a woman later revealed to be the victim was at the taxi stand seeking his assistance. He proceeded to the location, met with the victim and subsequently transported her to the TPS to report the incident.

The victim was also interviewed and she explained that on June 7, 2025 at about 8:11a.m, she returned home from work.

The suspect entered the living room, appearing agitated with his eyes wide open as if under the influence of a substance. The victim further stated that her husband is a known drug user and whenever she confronts him about his behavior, he becomes physically abusive. On this occasion, the suspect instructed her to go into their bedroom claiming he wanted to speak with her. When she entered their room, the suspect pushed her onto the bed and began to choke her with his hands, and then proceeded to punch her in the mouth, about three times.

The victim continued that she attempted to protect herself by placing a pillow over her face to shield her from the above. She also yelled out for help which stopped the assault and the suspect began speaking calmly, persuading her to get into the vehicle under the pretense of going somewhere together.

The victim stated that she complied and entered the vehicle. While driving, the suspect proceeded toward the Vaitogi area, eventually reaching a back road near the Turtle & Shark site.

The suspect parked the vehicle next to a gravesite and ordered her to get out of the car. The victim explained that she refused and pleaded with the suspect through tears to think about their children and to forgive her so they could return home.

However, the suspect opened the passenger door and forcefully pushed her out of the vehicle. But, after further pleading from her, the suspect told her to get back in the vehicle and they left the area together.

The victim stated that the suspect then asked her if she wanted anything and she told him that she was hungry. The suspect drove to a fast food outlet where they ordered food.

After parking, the victim reported that the suspect became agitated due to her continuous crying. The suspect asked her why she was still crying and she told him that she was afraid for her life during the incident at Vaitogi.

Upon hearing this, the suspect became enraged, and threw their food on the ground and began yelling profanities at her in Samoan. The suspect threatened to take her back and drop her off back in Vaitogi. He proceeded to drive out of the parking lot at a high rate of speed and headed towards the Petesa area.

The victim explained that as they approached the exit from Happy Valley, the suspect was momentarily distracted, looking to the opposite side of the road. At that moment, as she feared that the suspect would leave her at Vaitogi, she decided to open the passenger door and exit the vehicle. She ran across the street to a nearby taxi stand where she sought help from her neighbor who is a taxi driver.

It was also noted that the victim sustained visible scratches on her chest but no visible bruising was observed. The victim however complained of pain inside her mouth and along her jaw.

The victim declined medical treatment at the time of the report. The victim also provided a written statement to document her verbal statement.

The reporter was further interviewed and disclosed that this is not the first incident of abuse. He alleged that the suspect is a known drug user who physically assaults his wife nearly on a daily basis. However, he admitted that he had refrained from reporting the matter earlier as he did not want to interfere in their martial issues.

The reporter stated that he felt a sense of relief when the victim approached him for assistance and believed that he did the right thing by bringing the victim to the TPS.

He expressed his intention was to ensure the victim’s safety and to remove her from a potentially dangerous environment.

At around 1:00 a.m., the officers proceeded to the couple’s home in an attempt to locate the suspect; however their efforts were unsuccessful. Upon arrival, the officers observed the house was in disarray with no signs indicating the presence of the suspect.

At about 3:00 a.m., the reporter contacted the TPS and told them that he saw the suspect at his home. Police officers responded and following up on the reporter’s call.

At around 3:08 a.m., the suspect was apprehended and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the station, the suspect was Mirandized and refused to cooperate.

He was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The victim was taken to stay with her family for the time being.

The defendant is identified as a 35-year-old citizen of Samoa.