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Court hears yet more public peace disturbance charges

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TWO FEMALES ARRESTED FOR PPD
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two females were arrested by police last week and charged with disturbing the public peace in their neighborhood.

Leinara Fruean, a 23-year-old from Mapusaga and Taeaolelei Talatau, a 25-year-old from Pava’ia’i made their initial appearances in District Court last week, where Judge Pro Temp, Gwen Tauiliili-Langkilde ordered them to be released on their own recognizance (OR) under certain conditions.

Fruean and Talatau are represented by Assistant Public Defender, Ryan Anderson, while ASG Attorney Bianca Lherisson represents the government.

Anderson asked the court to release both defendants on their own recognizance, saying that they’re both first offenders and they do not post a risk to the community if they are released. Lherisson echoed the defense’s motion, saying the government would not oppose their release on OR.

Conditions of their release are: They cannot make any direct or indirect contact with the victim; remain law abiding; make all of their court appearances and stay in close contact with their attorney.

The government claims that on June 14 around 4:30 p.m, a woman from Pava’ia’i called the Tafuna Substation and asked for assistance, regarding her room, which had been broken into by an unknown person and damage was done to some of her property.

The victim told police that she went with her daughter, along with a friend of her daughter’s to town for shopping in the morning, and when they returned home, the room door was broken and all her property, such as personal belongings, were outside in the garage.

She then asked the daughter of the house’s owner, if she knew anything about her room and her response was, “I don’t know.”

The victim told police that she has rented the room at the place for two years and she does not know what has happened and what made the landlord’s daughter do this to her.

She further stated to police that when ASPA cut the water in the building, due to bills not being paid, she went and made payments for the water and as of right now, she is still paying her rent along with the water bill.

While police officers were speaking to the victim, Fruean, one of the defendants, was outside yelling profanities at the house telling the victim to shut up and leave the house, and also entered the house yelling and cussing at the victim saying she is a liar.

Police officers immediately arrested Fruean and escorted her out of the house before placing her inside the police unit; while police officers were doing so, Fruean yelled out profanities in a loud voice to the victim’s daughter.

Fruean was later booked and confined at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) until her court appearance.

When the police approached the other defendant, Talatau (the landlord’s daughter) to get some information in regards to the situation, she also yelled out profanities at the victim and told her to get out of their house because she does not own the house. At the same time, she was yelling in an angry voice, “You’re not paying for anything, just get your stuff and leave the area.”

Talatau then told police that she was the one who broke into the victim’s room. She kicked the door down, went inside and removed all the victim’s property out of the room and left it inside the garage area. She told police that she had told the victim to leave the place because they have no rights at the house. The house belongs to her deceased mother.

ALOFAGIA SEUPULE

A man who is accused of stabbing another man with a sharp object during a fight was arrested by police last week and charged with disturbing the public peace. The government is looking at filing additional charges against the defendant when police complete their investigation.

Alofagia Seupule made his initial appearance before District Court Judge Pro Temp, Gwen Tauiliili-Langkilde last week, and his case is now continued until next week.

According to court filings, it was 10:23 p.m last Tuesday night when the Fagatogo Central Police Station was called about a man who was injured during a fight with another man in the Aua area. Police proceeded to the area where the alleged incident took place, and observed two males standing behind a house.

The two males were later identified as the victim and the individual who reported the incident.

The victim told police that Seupule was very intoxicated and was yelling profanities in front of their house and the village late at night.

When he asked him to stop, Seupule challenged him to a fist fight; and he punched Seupule in the face while he was still trying to stop him, but the defendant kept challenging him to a fight. The victim told police that he then punched Seupule again in the face causing him to fall down. Seupule then stood up and stabbed the victim in the back with a sharp object; and then fled into the night.

Police officers were able to locate Seupule at his house and escorted him to the Police Station for an interview, before he was booked and confined at the TCF to await his court appearance.

In the meantime, the victim was taken to the hospital where he required medical attention to close the wound on his back.

The government is looking to file additional charge next week. Seupule is still in custody unable to post his $1,000 cash bond.