Suspect claims he never meant to harm the victim with a baseball bat

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 9, 2025, a man contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) and reported an alleged assault involving a baseball bat.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine not to exceed $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment for up to five years, a fine not to exceed $5,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $5,000.

Court records indicated that on Sept 9th, at around 7:09 p.m., a man (the reporter) called the FPS alleging that Neria Pulefano (the suspect) was causing a disturbance, including assaulting a woman (the victim) by hitting her with a baseball bat, causing the victim’s head to bleed.

The reporter further stated that the victim was at the LBJ ER for treatment.

The officers arrived at the hospital around 7:55 p.m. and met with the reporter and the victim. One of the responding officers interviewed the victim while the other interviewed the suspect’s mother, who was also at the ER.

The suspect’s mother was asked if her son had come with her, and she replied “yes”. The officer explained to the suspect’s mother what would happen next, and she agreed.

The suspect was apprehended from outside the hospital and was taken to the FPS for questioning.

The witness was also interviewed, and he stated that the suspect went onto the baseball field when he wasn’t supposed to during a game. The victim said he told him to get off the field because it was against the rules. However, the suspect replied that he can do whatever he wants. The suspect was then seen hitting the fence with the bat while the victim was standing on the other side of the fence. The suspect hit the fence a second time, and the victim told him to stop because she might get hurt. The suspect continued to ignore the victim and hit the fence again, which also hit the victim in the stomach. The victim then threw a bottle of water at the suspect, and the suspect retaliated by throwing the baseball bat, which hit the victim’s head.

The victim in her interview, collaborated what the witness had reported to the police, including being hit in the head with a baseball bat which left her head bleeding. She had a laceration on the right side of her head and was advised to bring the doctor’s medical report to the police station.

Upon arrival at the police station, Neria Pulefano was Mirandized, to which he understood and agreed to waive his rights.

According to the suspect, he verbally stated that he never knew the victim had been hurt. He also said that he never intended to harm the victim.

The suspect 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 29-year-old U.S national.