Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On February 13, 2024, Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from a young woman to report her brother who had allegedly assaulted her younger sister and was disturbing the peace in their family home in the village of Nu’uuli.

The defendant, Albert Fanene was arrested and charged with the following:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300 but not less than $150, or both; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV) — a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000 but not less than $150, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

According to the affidavit, at around 7 pm, a caller contacted the TPS, reporting that her brother was disturbing the peace at their family home in the village of Nu’uuli and “it was discovered that her brother assaulted her little sister.”

The reporter explained that her brother (defendant) punched her sister three times in her face and her back; and the defendant also threw her sister with a bag of frozen chicken hitting her sister in the face, leaving a minor scratch on her forehead.

Police officers responded to the call. Arriving at the residence, officers met up with a female individual, who was later identified as the sister of the defendant who stated she was the victim of the reported matter. The defendant was not at the house, having left the scene.

The victim stated that it was around 6:46 pm that her brother Albert Fanene came home after his practice and went to the kitchen to scoop himself some food. The victim explained that she approached him and told him that he needs to go shower and leave the food for their mother who’s at work.

Her brother refused to listen and started to shout at her, “calling her names and cussing at her”. As she walked to the front of the living room, the defendant allegedlt grabbed a bag of frozen chicken that was sitting on the kitchen sink and threw it at her leaving a scratch on her forehead.

The victim alleged that after he threw the bag of frozen chicken at her, the defendant followed her towards the living room and punched her in her left eye and also her back. Furthermore, she admitted that this is not the first time that the defendant has disturbed the peace inside their family home and assaulted her.

 The affidavit further stated that police officers were also able to question the reporter and also the witness during the altercation.

The reporter and witness, a sister of both victim and defendant, mentioned that she heard her sister telling the defendant to go shower but soon she heard her sister running towards the living room. The defendant swore at the victim and told her “you have no right against me [sic]”.

She stated “as he threw the first punch and hit her sister on her left eye, she grabbed her phone and contacted the police for help.”

Officers conducted an inspection around the victim’s family home and were not able to locate the defendant.

At about 9:03 pm that same day, the TPS received another phone call from the victim that the defendant had come back home and he had started yelling inside their family home ever since the police left.

Police officers responded to the call again and upon arrival at the scene they located the defendant inside the family home. The defendant was apprehended and placed inside the police unit and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

The defendant was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility.

The victim is identified as a 21-year-old, U.S National whereas the defendant is a 25-year-old citizen of Samoa.