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Man allegedly beats his wife after she flushes his drugs down the toliet

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man arrested for disturbing the private peace inside his home is now charged with violating local drug laws.

Nathaniel Maae Eti made his initial appearance in District Court last week.

He is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a felony, punishable by term of imprisonment of not less than five nor more than ten years and a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $20,000, or both.

Bail is set at $5,000.

THE CASE

On Thursday, Aug. 20th, 2020, detectives from the DPS Vice & Narcotics Unit were notified to investigate a glass pipe allegedly containing white crystalline substance and a stamp size baggie with white powder inside confiscated from a man arrested in a Domestic Violence case.

The man arrested was later identified as Nathaniel Maae Eti, the defendant in this matter.

According to arresting police officers’ statement to detectives of the Vice and Narcotics Unit, they received a phone call from a woman reporting her husband (defendant) beating on her. Several officers responded to the call and met up with the victim.

After interviewing the victim, officers apprehended the defendant and transported him to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for questioning. Defendant’s vehicle was also impounded and taken by police to the TPS for further investigation.

The victim told officers she got in to an argument with her husband because she found a glass pipe inside his pants and it’s not the first time she has confronted her husband about this type of behavior. The first time she found about ten stamp sized baggies inside their car, and when she confronted her husband about it, her husband confessed that he doesn’t smoke meth but he only sells it to make money to help out with their family.

The victim further stated to police that she flushed all the baggies and the glass pipe down the toilet. The second time when she found another glass pipe in her husband’s pants pocket, again, she approached her husband about the glass pipe and her husband confessed and told her that he would not do it again.

However, when the victim confronted the defendant the third time, he got upset and that’s when he tried to beat her up.

The defendant was asked if he would consent to a search of his vehicle and he agreed. Three police officers conducted the search of the vehicle in the presence of the defendant.

During the search, officers alleged found what appeared to be a glass pipe with crystallized substance inside under the driver’s side seat, while another officer pulled out a notebook from under the driver’s seat and asked the defendant if the notebook belongs to him and the defendant responded “yes”.

The stamp size baggie with white crystalline substance was allegedly inside the notebook and was later tested and yielded positive for methamphetamine