Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On February 12, 2024, a public high school teacher contacted the Fagatogo Central Police Station (CPS) to report an unknown man allegedly assaulting a woman across from the Samoana High School gymnasium.

The man was arrested and charged with the following:

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

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both;

Count 3: Assault in the Third Degree ( As a C Misd.) (DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both; and,

Count 4: Endangering a Welfare of a Child (DV) — a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The bail for the defendant was set at $3,000.

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

According to the affidavit, on February 12, 2024 at about 10:53 am, a public high school teacher contacted the FPS reporting an unknown man yelling aggressively at a woman (later identified as the wife/ victim) across from the Samoana High School gym.

Police officers responded to the call in Utulei and upon arrival, located a male individual (later identified as the suspect) sitting next to a female (later identified as the wife/ victim) with their 8-year-old son.

The suspect was immediately apprehended and placed in the police unit while both victims were placed in a separate police unit. They were transported to the CPS for further investigation.

According to the affidavit, police officers approached the reporter, a female teacher from Samoana High School regarding the incident. The teacher verbally stated that during a class session with her students at the school gym, several of her students notified her that there was a man yelling aggressively and punching a woman at the beach across from the gym.

She said she stood up and observed the man (suspect) continuously punching and shoving a woman around while she was holding on to her child.

The teacher explained that she yelled out, telling him to stop punching the woman and that she was calling the cops. She said that he stopped for a minute, but while they (the couple) were walking away the man shoved the woman again and tried to grab the minor from the mother.

Upon arrival at the CPS at about 10:50 am, the officers interviewed the female (victim) where she verbally stated that “the whole incident happened when her husband came with their son and saw her and a guy friend sitting at the beach house.”

According to the affidavit, she explained that her husband was “thinking that the guy is her new boyfriend.

“The victim stated that the suspect started yelling profanities towards her and threatened her saying ‘he is going to kill her and her boyfriend’.”

The suspect told her “that he will cut and slice them in[to] pieces using a knife and that he’s going to pull her throat out using his hands.”

The victim then said that she tried to grab her son while the suspect tried to grab her by the throat to choke her but he couldn’t. That is when the suspect grabbed her shirt collar and punched her in the face area twice with a closed fist. Luckily she was able to cover herself while trying to hold on to her son. The suspect then tried to shove her away and grabbed their son away from her.

After the interview, the victim provided a written statement.

At about 11:16 am at the FPS, the suspect was Mirandized and agreed to cooperate with police officers to answer any questions and to provide a statement about the incident.

The suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility awaiting the next sitting of the District court.

The defendant and victim in this case are identified as citizens of Samoa; the child is a US National.