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Bus driver makes inappropriate moves toward female passenger

FAGATOGO POLICE STATION
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On or about December 21, 2023, a minor walked into the Fagatogo Police Station to report that a bus driver allegedly assaulted her by harassing her and touching her inappropriately. The minor was saved by another passenger, who was also a minor.

The defendant was later found and charged with:

Count 1: False Imprisonment, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of not more than one year, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both; and,

Count 2 & 3: Assault in the Third Degree (Class C Misd.), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of not more than 15 days, a fine of not more than $300, or both imprisonment and fine.

The defendant’s bail was set at $30,000.

(Samoa News has chosen to name the bus driver, as it does not identify the victim-minor’s identity or village.)

According to the affidavit, on or about December 21st, a minor walked into the FPS crying and scared. The minor alleged that Salemona Paselio Sio, a bus driver, inappropriately touched her and forced her to stay on his bus.

Authorities who were assigned to the case interviewed the minor at the FPS.

She stated that she was on the suspect’s bus heading west, and that the suspect waited until every passenger on his bus got off to talk to her. The minor said that she knew that the suspect had no intention of dropping her off because she asked him countless times to stop the bus so she could get off but he wouldn’t. Instead, the bus driver told her to go with him to pick up some people. After he said that, he grabbed her waist which made her feel very uncomfortable, and she then moved and sat at the back of the bus.

Not long after, the bus stopped and picked up another passenger. She then confided in the passenger about what had happened when the passenger stopped the bus so she could get off. However, the suspect called out to the passenger to go on ahead while he and the victim were heading to pick up a few people. The minor stated that she continued to walk off the bus with the passenger.

The officers spoke with the passenger on the bus, another minor, who revealed himself as a witness and confirmed the victim’s statement.

As the officers were taking some preliminary information from both minors, they pointed to a brown and yellow bus on the highway which they identified as the suspect’s bus.

The officers conducted a vehicle stop of the suspect’s bus and asked him to accompany them back to the FPS.

The suspect was brought back to the station where he was interviewed.

He was reluctant at first but later admitted that he did grab the victim’s waist and also told the other passenger to leave the victim with him as they were heading back to pick up some people.

The defendant is identified as a 31-year-old male.