Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On February 11, 2024 a woman contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report that she was allegedly assaulted by her husband.

The husband was arrested and later charged with the following charges:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV) — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both;

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, or both; and,

Count 3: Property Damage in Third Degree (DV) — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $3,000.

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identities of the children involved in this case.)

According to the affidavit, on February 11, 2024 at about 11:07 pm, a woman contacted the TPS and reported that she had been assaulted by her husband. Upon arrival at the scene around 11:15 pm, an individual male (later identified as husband and defendant) sat at the kitchen table in the living room. Police officers spoke with the victim and witnesses separately, and they briefed the officers about what had happened.

According to the report, the victim later led the officers into her room with her husband and discovered belongings such as passport, driver’s license, immigration ID, and social security card cut into pieces inside the defendant and victim’s room.

Police officers photographed the victim’s injuries and also the properties that were damaged. The victim sustained minor injuries such as scratches on the right side of her neck and left elbow but refused to get treated by the EMS.

The defendant was apprehended and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

The affidavit stated that according to the victim’s verbal statement, “something happened to her and her husband during the day that made the defendant upset up until the night time.”

At about 11 pm, she reported that she went into their room and her husband was watching television. She said the defendant immediately played a show on YouTube about a wife cheating on her husband. At the time, the defendant started saying swearing at her and calling her derogatory names.

The victim explained that she poked her husband in the chest to try to get his attention and stop him from swearing at her. However, as a result, the defendant got really angry and used both of his hands to choke her against the wall.

She stated that at the time, she was almost out of breath and needed help. She then punched the defendant in the face because she couldn't breathe. The defendant then pushed her on the ground but luckily their son and daughter pushed the defendant back to stop him from beating her up. The victim later called the TPS for help.

After she reported her husband to the police, she went inside their room to inform her husband that she had called the cops. And it was at this time, she said she saw the defendant cutting her valuable documents up into pieces, such as her passport, driver’s license, immigration ID, and her social security card.

The affidavit also revealed that the son gave a verbal statement and he explained that the first thing he heard was his father (defendant) yelling at his mother that “I’m going to kill you”. A few seconds later, he heard a loud “BANG” coming from inside his parents’ room. He (the son) quickly ran to his parents’ room and when he got there he saw the defendant choking the victim (his mother) against the wall, then pushing her down to the floor. The son went and pushed and held his father back to stop him from beating up his mother. The son said the mother then went outside and called the TPS for help, while his father ( the defendant) started cutting up the victim’s valuable documents.

The daughter was also interviewed and according to the daughter’s verbal statement, she heard her parents swearing at each loudly in their room. Similar to her brother’s account, the daughter explained that she tried to separate her father from her mother with the help of her brother, and that while her mother ran outside and contacted the TPS for help on the phone, her father was cutting up the victim’s valuable documents.

At the DPS, the defendant was Mirandized and agreed to provide a verbal statement.

According to the defendant, earlier that day February 11, 2024, there was a verbal altercation between him and his wife at their home in Nu'uuli. He was upset to the point that he didn’t want to go to church or talk to his wife.

Later that night, he was in the room watching a YouTube show on television while his wife was asleep. He immediately played a show of a cheating wife on YouTube and said something about his wife cheating on him.

The victim woke up and punched him in the chest and they got into a verbal altercation. He stated the victim then punched him in the mouth and he used both of his hands to choke her for the purpose of preventing her from punching him but luckily their children stopped her from assaulting him.

The defendant admitted he cut his wife’s valuable documents up into pieces.

Defendant was booked and confined at Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) to await the next sitting at the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 45 year-old, U.S National.

ALENI ALENI

 On February 6, 2024, Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) received a call from a man reporting Aleni Aleni (suspect) for alleged peace disturbance. The reporter stated that the suspect was “making loud noises” and swearing loudly at his mother.

The suspect was arrested and charged with Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance — a class B misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $300.

On February 6, 2024 at about 6:06 pm, FPS received a call from a male named Tupuola Vaitele (reporter) who reported Aleni Aleni (suspect) was “making loud noises at their residence at Fagasa.”

The police officers check4r out the alleged claim. When police officers arrived at the scene, they observed a male (later identified as the reporter) and female (later identified as Eny Aleni and also the victim) standing by the road waving them down.

The officers met with the reporter and victim and they informed the police on what had allegedly happened.

The reporter stated that the suspect was making loud noises in front of the house while neighbors were around. The victim explained that she was shocked that her son (suspect) was acting “disorderly” inside their residence at Fagasa and yelling profanity in Samoan at her and her daughter (witness).

The victim stated that she told the suspect to stop what he was doing but the suspect did not comply with his mother and kept swearing at her.

The witness also stated that she was shocked that the suspect got off from work and came home and started swearing in their home while she was with her mother. The witness explained that her cousin came to their house and calmed him down and took the suspect to the front of the road.

It was also revealed that police detected a strong odor of alcohol emitted from the suspect’s breath.

He was processed and was transported at the TCF for the next sitting of the District court.

Suspect is identified as 32 year-old, U.S National.

WIFE SMOKING METH IN THE HOME

 On February 10, 2024, at about 8:15pm, a woman contacted the TPS requesting assistance with her neighbor in Nu'uuli as she uncontrollably yelling profanities causing a disturbance in the area.

Police officers were informed by the husband that his children approached him upon his arrival at home telling him that his wife was smoking methamphetamine in the room.

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identities of the children involved in this case.)

She was charged with the following:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both;

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance (DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen (15) days, a fine of $300 but not less than $150, or both; and,

Count 3: Resisting Arrest — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1000, or both.

Bail for the defendant was set at $150.

Upon arrival at the scene, police officers observed a group of people outside of the suspect’s home trying to calm down a female who was shouting profanities agitatedly.

Police officers tried to calm the suspect down but she refused and continued to approach officers in an “aggressive manner, pointing and swearing” at the officers.

The affidavit stated that as the officers tried to calm the suspect “she kept trying to push off the officers and refused to calm down” and as they tried to place handcuffs on her she continued to resist.

“While resisting, the suspect continued to scream and yell out profanities.”

Police officers were finally able to place her in the vehicle but the suspect “continued to slam her head against the inside window of the unit.”

For her own safety, police officers placed her inside the police cage, in the unit. The suspect was transported to the TPS for processing.

According to the suspect’s husband’s statement, “he had just arrived at the house and made food for his kids.” His kids approached him telling him that his wife was smoking methamphetamine inside the room.

When he asked her about it “she kept screaming and swearing at him.” As he tried to calm her down, their neighbors proceeded towards their house claiming that the suspect was too loud and out of control.

 A witness who was also a neighbor provided her statement sharing that she lived near the suspect’s house. She and other neighbors could hear the suspect shouting profanities, which was the reason they walked towards the suspect’s home. They all saw the suspect who was the only one that was rowdy and out of control.

They tried to help calm the suspect but she refused to listen.

It was noted in the affidavit that when the suspect was taken to the TPS, she continued to be rowdy, screaming and yelling profanities at the officers.

Even as officers transported the suspect to the TCF, she was still out of control.

The suspect was booked and transported to the TCF to be confined until the next sitting at the District Court.

The suspect was identified as a 33-year old U.S. National.