Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 20, 2026, a violent family altercation in the village of Amanave allegedly escalated into a group assault that left two people injured and resulted in the arrest of five women, including defendants: Aileen Iti (AKA Emma), Saini Iti, Mehanu Vaielua, Menarisa Vaielua, and Kelly Lam-Cheung.

They were later charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.

All five defendants were held without bail.

According to the court affidavit, the disturbance began at approximately 8 a.m. when a verbal argument between two women quickly turned physical outside a residence in Amanave.

According to investigators, what initially started as a dispute over a family dog soon escalated into a chaotic confrontation involving multiple family members.

The officers responding to the scene found the alleged victim and her husband standing near the roadway in a panicked state. The couple reportedly pointed officers toward several female suspects who were still nearby following the disturbance.

Authorities immediately detained the women identified by the victims and transported them to the Leone Police Substation (LPS) for questioning while other witnesses involved in the incident were instructed to report separately to the station.

Both the alleged victim and her husband were treated at the scene by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) before being transported to the LBJ Tropical Medical Center for further treatment of injuries sustained during the altercation.

Investigators later pieced together the events leading up to the fight through multiple witness interviews conducted throughout the day.

According to statements provided to police, the victim and her husband had been cleaning the easement area near their property while preparing for gravel delivery work at their home. During that time, one of the family’s dogs reportedly escaped through the fence and ran into a neighboring yard.

As a result, one of the women (defendants) allegedly began throwing rocks at the dog in an attempt to chase it away. The victim reportedly yelled at the woman, asking her not to throw rocks and assuring her that she would remove the dog from the area.

Police say the argument intensified almost immediately afterward when profanity was allegedly exchanged between the two women. According to investigators, the defendant then approached the victim and allegedly initiated a physical fight by grabbing and pulling her hair.

Witnesses told police that several additional family members soon became involved in the confrontation.

One of the suspects reportedly admitted to investigators that she saw the defendant pulling and punching the victim before she herself joined the fight by grabbing the victim’s hair in an attempt to separate the women.

Another suspect allegedly admitted seeing one of her relatives throw a large rock at the victim’s husband during the disturbance.

Another woman told investigators she observed the victim and the defendant fall to the ground while fighting, after which several family members allegedly rushed in and joined the assault. The victim was allegedly dragged to the ground multiple times while being punched and kicked.

Investigators further alleged that one of the defendants admitted throwing a rock “the size of a baseball” at the victim’s husband after claiming he had struck her during the chaos. Police, however, noted that EMS found no visible injuries on the woman despite her claim.

This defendant reportedly waived her constitutional rights and agreed to provide a statement to investigators.

According to her, she argued with the victim after seeing the victim’s dog in her family yard. She also allegedly acknowledged yelling profanities before walking over and physically confronting the victim by pulling her hair, and that additional family members became involved once the fight ensued.

The affidavit further alleges that one of family members involved in the assault admitted encouraging further violence during the attack — confessing that she yelled at her daughter during the fight, to step on the victim’s neck “so she could die.”

The woman also reportedly told police that she attempted to break up the fight but admitted making the threatening statement during the chaotic disturbance.

The victim’s husband provided an account of the incident to investigators. According to his statement, after the fight broke out, another woman wearing a pink shirt allegedly picked up a rock and threw it at him, striking his hand as he attempted to defend himself. He stated that he then rushed towards his wife after seeing her on the ground surrounded by multiple teenagers and women punching and kicking her.

He attempted to push several people away from his wife while yelling for them to stop attacking her. He reportedly told investigators his wife struggled to stand up afterwards and appeared shaken and injured while they waited for police and medical personnel to arrive.

The victim later told investigators she felt helpless while lying on the ground as several women allegedly punched and kicked her in the head, neck, shoulders, and body. She also claimed she heard one of the suspects encouraging others to continue attacking her during the assault.

Following the investigation, all five women were booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility pending their appearances before the District Court.

The matter remains before the court for further proceedings.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on April 21, 2026.

As with all criminal cases, the allegations outlined in court filings remain accusations at this stage, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision.]