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Additional charges lodged against man involved in mutiple domestic violence cases

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Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The government filed an additional charge last week during a Status Hearing before Acting Associate Justice Elvis P. Patea against a man accused of assaulting his partner in a domestic violence incident.

Ethan Mauga, 30, was on probation when he was arrested by police last month on the new allegation. This is the third time Mr. Mauga has been charged with assaulting his partner.

On the following day — Thursday, the defendant appeared in High Court for an Order to Show Cause (OSC) before Associate Justice Fiti Sunia.

After reviewing the defendant’s court record, Sunia set a surety bond at $5,000.  

If he posts bond, Mauga is ordered not to have any direct or indirect contact with the victim and he must find another place to reside while his case is pending.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 4th for a disposition hearing and pretrial conference.

BACKGROUND

In January of this year, Mr. Mauga was convicted of one count of private peace disturbance involving domestic violence, a class C misdemeanor; one count of criminal contempt, a class A misdemeanor; and one count of public peace disturbance, a class B misdemeanor.

He was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment and a $300 fine for a private peace disturbance involving domestic violence. He was also sentenced to 6 months in jail and a $500 fine for public peace disturbance. For criminal contempt, he was sentenced to one year behind bars and a $1,000 fine.

The sentences were to run consecutively; however, execution of the sentence was suspended and Mauga was placed on probation for 24 months subject to several conditions. He was to serve 90 days at the TCF, of which he was credited with the 78 days he had served in pretrial confinement, and he was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

The court was also told that Mauga had appeared in District Court last year on 3 separate domestic cases involving the same victim; and his first domestic violence conviction was a few years back, which also involved the same victim.

Last month, Aug. 17th, a man contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for assistance after he heard a woman, from his neighbor’s house, screaming for help while her male partner was allegedly beating her up.

Several police officers responded to the call and met up with the reporter, who stated to police that he heard his neighbor screaming and saying, “Mauga, stop hitting me,” and then he heard the victim say, “Somebody, please call the cops.” At that point, he immediately called the TPS for assistance.

The man further stated to police that this is not the first time he has heard the victim and Mauga argue or get into a confrontation.

Officers met up with the victim at her residence at which point she told investigators that she and Mauga had had a verbal argument. Investigators then requested to speak with Mauga. The victim went into the house and was heard arguing with Mauga again. Investigators then informed Mauga that he was going to be taken into TPS but Mauga told them that he wasn’t going to go to the TPS.

As Mauga tried to exit the back door officers apprehended him and transported him to the TPS.