Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Savelio Lautala, accused of assaulting a man by striking his head is now in custody after he was arrested last month.

Lautala, who made his initial appearance in Court last month is charged with one count of 2nd- degree assault, a class D felony, punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a $5,000, or both such fine and imprisonment.

Bail is set at $5,000.

According to the government’s case, it was on June 21, 2022 about 8:21p.m when Fagatogo Police Central (FPC) received a phone call from a man reporting an incident in Pago Pago where a man assaulted another man using a steel broom handle.

The caller told police that the suspect is a male by the name of Lio and he fled the scene after he assaulted the victim. The victim sustained facial and head injuries and needed immediate medical attention.

Officers arrived and observed the victim sitting outside his house, bleeding from the back of his head and nose.

When questioned by officers, the victim stated that he was walking on the road in front of the tennis court in Pago Pago when a red pick-up truck heading west almost hit him. He yelled profanities at the driver of vehicle as it went past.

As he was sitting at the bus stop located at the front of the tennis court, a male approached him from behind and asked him if he was the one who yelled profanities at their vehicle.

The victim turned around and told the person who approached him, yes. He then explained the reason why he yelled profanities at the driver of the pick-up truck.

As the victim was trying to explain himself, the man who approached him punched him in the face twice. The man was later identified as Savelio Lautala, the defendant in this matter. According to the victim, he tried to push the defendant away but the defendant choked him using both hands and then slammed his head against the cement post of the bus stop.

The government alleges that the defendant then punched the victim and struck him two times on the head with a steel handle of a broom.

The defendant quickly fled the area after the alleged assault and disappeared. A man who witnessed the alleged beating from the area where his car was parked that night identified the defendant as Savelio Lautala and immediately called for police assistance.

The victim was later escorted inside a police unit and transported to FPC to be treated by the EMS and for further investigation. Officers then tried to locate the defendant, but he couldn’t be found.

Two days later, the defendant was apprehended at a cousin’s house and was transported to the FPC for questioning.

After Lautala was Mirandized, he agreed to talk to investigators about the incident. According to Lautala, he was heading home with his mother and young siblings when the defendant yelled profanities at him in the presence of his family.

After he stopped at a store in Pago Pago where his mother and siblings went inside for shopping, he grabbed a steel broom handle from the back of the truck and made his way to the Pago Plaza looking for the person who yelled profanities.

He saw the victim sitting at the bus stop in front of the tennis court in Pago Pago and assaulted him.

REUPENA APELU

A 31-year-old nephew accused of assaulting his uncle was arrested and he’s now being charged.

Reupena Apelu made his initial appearance in Court.

He is charged with 2nd-degree assault, a class D felony, along with 3rd-degree property damage and PPD, both class A misdemeanors.

Bail is set at $10,000.

THE CASE

On June 19, 2022, a police officer received a phone call from a man requesting police assistance at his house in Kokoland. The man, later identified as the victim in this matter told the officer that his nephew was very disrespectful and assaulted him while he was trying to advise him on how to live his life.

The victim further told the officer that his nephew left his house and was heading to his mother’s home in Futiga.

The officer who received the phone call informed the TPS about the situation. Several officers, along with the officer who received the phone call responded to the matter and met up with the victim in this case.

The nephew mentioned in this case was later identified as Reupena Apelu.

According to the government’s case, Apelu went to his uncle’s house in Kokoland and asked if he can borrow his tool box for a job. Apelu is a carpenter. His uncle told Apelu a friend of his was using most of his tools and he needs to wait until his friend returns the tools on the weekend.

Apelu was not satisfied with his uncle’s response, thinking that his uncle was lying and didn’t want him to use his (uncle) tools. Apelu became aggravated and yelled at his uncle to get up and go bring his tool box so that he could use it.

Apelu’s uncle tried to correct his nephew (defendant) by telling him to stop his actions and show him some respect, but the defendant was so furious that he walked over to where his uncle was standing and pushed him to the wall.

The victim pushed the defendant away and tried to walk outside of the house but the defendant grabbed a 5ft wooden spoon and struck the victim on his head causing a big laceration on the top of his right ear.

The victim told investigators that he wanted the defendant locked up because this is not the first time he has done this to him.

Officers went to Futiga to locate the defendant and they found him at his mother’s home. The defendant was apprehended and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

During his arrest, officers smelled a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the defendant’s person.

The defendant was Mirandized and he agreed to speak to investigators about what happened. According to the defendant’s verbal and written statement, he assaulted his uncle because he refused to allow him to use his tool box for his job.

He said he was intoxicated and while he was trying to beg his uncle to please allow him to use his tools, but his uncle kicked him out of his house and accused him of stealing stuff from his Kokoland home.

The defendant said he became angry and assaulted his uncle.