Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 13, 2024, a female individual contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) claiming her husband caused a peace disturbance and assaulted her and her 8-year-old daughter.

The defendant was apprehended and later charged with the following charges:

Count 1 & 2: Assault in the Third Degree ( As a C. Misd.)(DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up t0 fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both; and,

Count 3: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up t0 fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $2,000.

(Samoa News has withheld names of those involved to protect the identities of the mother and the minor involved in this case)

According to the affidavit, on July 13, at around 3:55 p.m, a female individual contacted FPS to report her husband who was drunk and causing a disturbance inside their residence.

Police officers responded to the call and while heading to the scene they contacted the reporter for the exact location.

An elderly woman answered the phone and explained that the victim used her phone to contact the FPS for help. The elderly lady gave the police directions to the victim’s residence.

Upon arrival at the location, officers observed several cannery workers waiting for the bus. The police officers asked them for the victim’s residence and they pointed at a woman sitting on the other side of the road. Police officers approached and met with the reporter later identified as the victim.

The victim was interviewed by the police officers and she explained everything that happened to the officers. The officers also asked if she needed medical assistance for her daughter’s eye injury, but the victim refused and said she had already fixed her daughter’s injury.

According to the victim, her husband drank alcohol with her sister’s husband. Later, he came home drunk and started making a lot of noise by swearing out loud while searching for his cigarettes. The defendant woke up their children and was talking about the victim’s brother not being allowed into their house anymore.

Furthermore, the victim stated that her husband started punching her face but luckily she kept dodging his punches and she only got hit on her head.

She explained that she then ran outside the house to the road while her husband ran after her. She stated, “I heard my daughter call out to me but my husband called out to her to come in and that’s when he slapped her daughter’s face.” She said at that time she ran to the neighbor’s house right in front of their house to use their phone to contact the police for help.

When the victim was asked about her husband’s whereabouts, she pointed at him sitting at the small house (fale Samoa), where people wait for the bus.

The officers immediately led him to the police unit and transported him to the FPS for the booking process. During this time, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol emitted from the defendant’s breath and person. Upon arrival at the station, officers also observed the defendant’s blood shot eyes.

The defendant was booked at the FPS and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined awaiting the next sitting of the District Court.

The 8 year-old minor’s injury on her right eye that appeared to be swollen was documented. Medical assistance was again offered but was refused by the victim (mother). The victim was also advised to come into the police station with her daughter for further investigation.

The defendant is identified as a 36-year-old U.S National.