Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 5, 2026, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from a victim of a domestic dispute reporting that her brother-in-law allegedly threatened to kill her by cutting her head off with a machete. 

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of not more than $300, or both imprisonment and fine; and,
Count 2: Assault in the third Degree (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable for up to fifteen days, a fine not to exceed $300, or both.

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

According to the court affidavit, the TPS received a call at approximately 8:45 p.m. from a female resident of Malaeloa reporting that a male family member, later identified as Joshua Moe, had threatened to cut off her head with a machete.

Police officers responded to the residence and upon arrival, officers observed a pregnant woman (later identified as the victim) outside the residence, along with several teenage males standing near the house. The victim approached the patrol unit and confirmed that she was the person who had called police.

The victim appeared uneasy and was visibly pregnant. When officers asked where the male involved in the incident was, she identified him as Mr. Moe and stated that he had left the area immediately after she told him she was going to call police. At that time, she said she did not know where he had gone.

Because another vehicle was blocking the area and there was insufficient room for the patrol unit to park, officers began repositioning the vehicle.

As the patrol unit was being reversed, a short, thin male suddenly approached the passenger-side window where one of the officers was seated. The officer reported detecting the strong odor of alcoholic beverages coming from the man.

When one of the officers asked the man to identify himself, he replied, "Iosua”. Officers subsequently identified him as Joshua Moe.

The officers exited the patrol vehicle and apprehended Moe. He was placed inside the patrol unit while officers proceeded to park in front of the victim's residence.

The officers then approached the victim and asked if she was okay. She replied that she was okay now that the police had arrived.

The victim told officers that the incident began after she went to use an outside bathroom. When she exited the bathroom, she was startled after seeing Moe standing outside. She said she became frightened and yelled profanities at the suspect.

She then walked toward an area where several teenage boys were standing. The victim explained that she was related to the boys and was calling out to them when Moe called out to her and began cursing at her.

Moreover, the victim said that the suspect told her to tell the teenage boys to go home because the village curfew had already started and they should have left the area. The suspect then walked back toward his residence, which was located in a tent house next to her residence.

The situation escalated when the suspect came out of his residence carrying a machete. The victim told police that Moe called out to her in a threatening manner and threatened to cut off her head and cut her into pieces.

The woman said she responded and asked the suspect if had killed anyone before?

The suspect then threw an unidentified object in her direction. The object did not strike her but landed among the rocks beside her residence. The victim stated that she did not know what the object was but heard it strike the rocks.

Fearing for her safety, she turned around and went inside her residence, where she informed her husband about what had occurred. Her husband was inside the residence with their children at the time.

The woman told police that Moe was her husband's brother.

She said her husband instructed her to contact the police, which she did.

The affidavit also described an ongoing dispute between the victim and the suspect. She told officers that she had felt threatened by Moe during previous verbal altercations but had been reluctant to take further action. She explained that she was living on her husband's family land and was concerned that taking action against Moe could cause problems with her husband's family and siblings.

The victim further stated that Moe had frequently bothered her and that she felt uncomfortable whenever he was around.

She also told police that the suspect would become angry when he saw her talking to other males. She said she did not understand why he behaved that way and believed that Moe liked her and acted as though he was her husband.

The victim also informed the authorities that the night before the Sept. 5th incident, she had walked to a nearby store and observed Moe following her from behind after he had recently returned from the store.

She told police that she had reached a point where she could no longer tolerate his behavior and did not feel comfortable being around him, particularly because their residences were located next to each other.

The victim also told the officers that she was approximately six months pregnant at the time of the incident.

After obtaining the victim’s verbal account, police requested that she provide a written statement. Officers also obtained her personal information and checked to make sure she was safe before leaving the residence.

Meanwhile, while officers were at the scene, one of the officers asked the suspect about the machete. Moe claimed that he had thrown the machete away.

At approximately 10:21 p.m., officers left the scene with the suspect and transported him to the TPS for processing. Upon arrival at the station, Moe was Mirandized and acknowledged that he understood his rights, waived those rights, and agreed to provide a verbal statement.

In his statement to police, the suspect provided his account of what had happened.

Moe told officers that he had been drinking outside his tent house when he noticed several teenage boys gathered in front of the property. He said he became angry because the teenage boys frequently gathered in front of their land. He attempted to chase the boys away because the village curfew had already begun and the boys had not yet returned home.

Moe subsequently admitted that he threatened the woman with the machete. He acknowledged that he called out to the victim and threatened to cut off her head and cut her into pieces.

He also admitted that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. However, he stated that he understood what he was doing.

The affidavit does not indicate that the woman was physically struck by the machete or that she suffered physical injuries during the incident. However, police documented her allegation that she was threatened with the weapon and that an unidentified object was thrown in her direction.

Following the booking process, Moe was transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility, where he remained confined pending the next sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 41-year-old U.S national.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on Sept. 08, 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.]