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Court Report

19-YEAR OLD CHARGED FOR HITTING MAN WITH A TEA CUP

The Attorney General’s office is looking into filing felony charges against 19-year old Edwin Atonio of Ili’ili, on allegations that he struck another man with a tea cup. Atonio is currently facing charges of third degree assault, under age drinking and public peace disturbance.

According to the government’s case, the defendant was in a drinking session with the victim, when the victim confronted him about stealing his iPOD. It’s alleged the victim punched the defendant, who responded by hitting the victim with a tea cup.

It’s alleged the defendant left the scene and went to his house and returned with a machete, however when the defendant saw the victim’s family members he threw the machete in the bushes near the area.

Police arrested the defendant and confiscated the tea cup and the machete involved in this incident. The victim suffered a severe cut on the top of his right eye and three cuts below his eye.

The victim was transported to LBJ hospital where he is currently admitted for emergency operation due to the severity of the cut on his face. Atonio who’s represented by Assistant Public Defender Karen Shelley, made his initial appearance in the District Court, yesterday morning.

PLEA NEGOTIATIONS IN NESIASI LATU’S CASE

Nesiasi Latu, charged on allegations that he stole a purse belonging to a woman that contained $15,000 is facing charges of stealing, and was in court yesterday for his pre-trial conference before Acting Associate Justice Elvis Patea.

The criminal count Latu is facing is a class C felony punishable by up to seven years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, a fine equal to twice the amount gained from the commission of said crime up to $20,000 — or both sentence and fine

Assistant Public Defender Mike White told the court that a continuance is needed in this case given that they are looking at resolving this case following plea negotiations. White asked Patea to postpone this matter for couple of weeks. Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Hyde confirmed that a couple of weeks should be enough for them to come up with a resolution in this matter.

Acting Associate Justice Patea granted the request and set the next pre-trial conference for this matter on Jan. 7, 2013.

According to the government’s case the victim arrived at home and got into an argument with another friend and then three Samoan boys showed up at her front door to check if everything was alright.

After they left, the victim said she went to lock her car only to find that the compartment of the vehicle was emptied out and her purse, which had contained  $15,000 was nowhere to be found.

Police upon arriving at the scene found one of the three Samoan men at the victim’s house. The juvenile told police that he, the defendant and another juvenile saw the victim and her husband arguing with another man, and they went to see if the couple needed help. The juvenile said afterwards Latu asked if they wanted to go to Carl's Jr, and upon leaving, the defendant fetched a bag from under a mango tree near the area.

The juvenile further told police the defendant had given them money. Court filings state that police then apprehended the second juvenile who was with the defendant. Police retrieved an envelope from this juvenile which contained $9.00

The second juvenile corroborated the information which the first juvenile told police.

Police were able to apprehend the defendant the following day. The defendant admitted that he opened the car, got inside, and saw the purse. The government alleges the defendant admitted using some of the money for taxi rides, beer, and food.

The defendant turned over $384.75 to police and the purse was located where $167.37 was found inside it. Police also patted down the defendant and found $1,093.00 on him. Police further contacted friends of the defendant whom he said he gave money to, and police seized from the defendant’s friends $200. The total of the cash collected was $1854.12, which was documented for evidence and released to the victim.