Man arrested after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend with metal baseball bat

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 28, 2025, the Leone Police Station (LPS) received a call from a concerned taxi driver who reported an alleged domestic dispute between a couple.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Assault in the Second Degree (DV), a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, 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’s bail was set at $5,000.

Court affidavit stated that on July 28th, at around 1:45 a.m., a police officer contacted the LPS and relayed information regarding a disturbance in Sogi. Police officers met up with the man (later identified as the reporter).

According to the reporter, he was on the road dropping off a passenger when he was dispatched to another call in Sogi regarding another passenger. When he arrived in Sogi, a woman (later identified as the victim) waved him down and quickly entered his taxi.

The victim told him to go but then changed her mind and told him to take her back. When he took the victim back, she exited the taxi and went back into the house where he heard a loud argument between a man and a woman.

The reporter said that he saw the victim exit the house and try to open the car that was parked in front of the house. A man (later identified as the suspect) exited soon after and called out to the victim but she didn’t comply.

The suspect went back in the house and came back out with a metal baseball bat, and approached the victim striking her on the left side of her face.

The reporter directed the officers to the house after the interview, and they were able to confirm it was the home of the suspect, identified as Fidelis Taumalua.

The officers saw a rental vehicle parked in front of the house and upon arrival at the scene the officers exited their units and did not observe any unusual activities. They knocked on the door and met up with a family member.

The family member told the officers that they were asleep and didn’t know anything that was happening. She directed the officers to the suspect’s room where they attempted to knock on the door and call the suspect out. However, the officers heard the suspect arguing with the victim inside their room.

The suspect then exited the room and once the door was open the victim told the officers to lock up the suspect. The suspect was apprehended and placed inside the police unit.

It was noted in the investigation that when the victim exited the room, authorities observed a 2-inch lump on her left cheek with bruising and a bruise under her chin.

Police officers documented the victim’s injuries and the victim later refused medical treatment.

According to the victim, Taumalua struck her with a metal baseball bat because she tried to open the door to the black truck parked outside their home. The suspect got mad that she didn’t listen to him when he told her to get away from the truck. The victim explained that when she opened the door and looked inside the truck she saw a female inside the car.

Taumalua then struck her twice with the metal bat which hit her once on the left cheek. She explained that she held onto the bat in an effort to defend herself but he hit her again by thrusting the bat upwards to her lower chin area.

Upon arrival at the station, Taumalua was Mirandized where he understood his rights and refused to make a statement.

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

The defendant is identified as a 33-year-old U.S National.