Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 3, 2023, a woman called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report her husband for assaulting her after a date at one of the Territory’s nightclubs on the West side of Tutuila island.

The husband was arrested and charged with the following:

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

Count 3: Endangering a Welfare of a Child (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1,000 but not less than $150, or both.

Bail was set at $1,000.

(Samoa News has not released the names of the couple involved in the incident due to children being involved.)

According to the affidavit, on December 3, 2023, a women called 911 to report that her husband had assaulted her at their residence at Mapusaga Fou.

Police officers were dispatched to Mapusaga Fou, and upon arrival, the officers heard a female individual yelling profanities, alarming the neighbors and the officers.

The police officers proceeded to where the female individual was yelling and told her to open the door. When the female individual opened the door, she was heard yelling profanities towards another female who was identified as her mother-in-law.

When officers asked the female individual who opened the door who she was, she revealed herself as the wife of the defendant. Officers then requested that she put on some clothes because she had approached them in a towel.

At the same time, police officers observed that she “had a red laceration on her neck and several red markings on her arms and chest.”

According to the affidavit, the woman was transported to the TPS to be treated and for further investigation.

During the ride to TPS, she “spontaneously blurted out that her husband … punched her twice in the facial area and grabbed her by the neck.

“He then strangled her with his hands and she tried to fight him off.”

During the incident, she told police that their 6-year-old son was present.

She also blurted out that she was “yelling profanities towards her mother in-law because she always covers up for her son.”

As they were on their way to the TPS, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from her breath.

The affidavit further stated that the officers conducted a field interview with the husband and he verbally stated that “his wife wanted them to go out on a date.” They went to a nightclub and he saw his wife’s ex-boyfriend there.

When she started to dance with her ex-boyfriend, he “just got mad and told her to have fun with her ex-boyfriend” and left.

As he was leaving the nightclub, one of his friends came and picked them (him and his wife) up and dropped them off at their house. Upon arrival at their home, they allegedly got into an argument.

After the defendant gave his verbal statement, officers transported the couple to TPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the TPS, the couple was escorted inside.

The husband was Mirandized, however he refused to make a statement. He was later booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The wife was also Mirandized and refused to make a statement or answer any questions. She was later released because she needed to take care of her kids.

Both suspects are identified as citizens of Samoa.