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Domestic spat escalates with the couple landing in jail

American Samoa District Court building
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — An alleged fight between a couple from Tafuna over the wife’s suspicion that her husband was having an affair with another woman has landed the couple at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF).

It’s alleged that after the man assaulted his wife during a domestic spat, the wife went to a nearby store and allegedly assaulted a female, which she believed is her husband’s lover and was standing in front of the store.

The couple made their initial appearances in District Court this week. Prosecuting the case is Assistant Attorney General Jason Mitchell, while Assistant Public Defender Bob Stuart is representing the couple.

The man, who has an outstanding warrant, is charged with third degree assault; private peace disturbance; and resisting arrest - all misdemeanors. The woman is charged with third degree assault and public peace disturbance, both misdemeanors.

The man’s bail is set at $1,000 while the woman was released on her own recognizance. The man’s case is now transferred to the Family, Drug & Alcohol (FDA) court, and he’s scheduled to appear Oct. 4th for his first pretrial conference.

If he is able to post bond, the man is ordered not to make any contact with his wife and three young children, and he has to find another place to live while his case is pending.

The woman, on the other hand, is ordered to not make any contact with the victim (the woman she allegedly beat up).

THE CASE

On the evening of Sept. 20th, a man contacted the Tafuna Substation to report that a female was assaulted by another woman in front of an Asian store in the Tafuna area.

Cops arrived and spoke to the caller, who told them that as he exited the store, he saw a man trying to pull the hand of a woman (apparently the wife), while she was yelling out to a female, who was standing in front of the store — to come and fight her.

The man was able to escort his wife home; however, a few moments later, the reporter told police the same woman (the wife) came back and allegedly punched the victim in the face. She also pulled her hair and pushed her head towards the store.

The caller and other people who were present intervened and stopped the woman from further assaulting the victim. Police apprehended the woman and transported her to the Tafuna Substation for questioning. The victim was treated by EMS personnel for minor injuries and later released.

According to the wife’s statement to police, she had a fight with her husband after she found out from a woman in their village that her husband was having an affair with a lady who works at the cannery.

During the couple’s fight, according to the wife, her husband allegedly punched her in the face and pulled her hair in the presence of their three young children. And, as she ran for help, she saw her husband’s alleged lover standing in front of the store across from their home.

According to the wife, she went over and assaulted the woman by punching her in the face and pushing her head towards the store wall. She also told her not to speak to her husband again.

Police went to the couple’s home and escorted her husband to the Substation for questioning. He was later arrested — during which time he refused to let his hands be cuffed, and resisted — and detained at the TCF.

Investigators found out that the man has an outstanding warrant from the beginning of this year. He was immediately served with a copy of the warrant.

According to the man, his wife confronted him regarding his alleged affair with another woman. He said he told his wife not to listen to what people tell her, because all those stories are wrong.

The defendant admits that he assaulted his wife by punching her in the face, pulling her hair, and also kicking her in the presence of their three young children.

THE WARRANT

The man is on probation for 2 years, for stealing and third degree assault convictions. As a condition of probation, he was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, attend and complete anger and alcohol management, and remain law abiding.

According to the court, the man failed to appear when his case was called for a review in June of this year. He is remanded to custody to await his next court appearance.