Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man was arrested by police in Malaeimi after he went into his sister’s house with a machete in his hand. The defendant made his initial appearance in court 3 weeks ago. He’s charged with private peace disturbance and 3rd degree assault.

Bail is set at $2,500.

The government claims that on Aug. 18th, 2020, a female contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) reporting that the defendant in this case was outside of their house holding a machete in his hand and calling out to her husband to come out of the house.

Several police officers responded to the call and met up with the caller, who stood in front of her house with her husband and children around her.

As police officers made their way to the house, they observed a male individual standing on the other side of the compound smoking a cigarette. The male individual called out to officers and said, “I’m over here if you’re looking for me.”

The male was later identified as the Talosaga Aleki, the defendant in this case. When officers approached him, Aleki handed the machete to one of the police officers. The defendant was handcuffed and officers placed him inside a police unit.

Police spoke to the defendant’s sister, who is the victim in this case regarding the alleged incident. She told police that she, her husband and children had just arrived home when she saw her brother (defendant) approaching them with a machete. She quickly closed and locked the door to keep him from entering their house and to prevent him from harming her family.

The victim was scared for herself as well as for her husband and children. The defendant called out her husband’s name and asked him to come outside because he wanted to talk to him.

The victim told police that she told her husband to stay inside the room with her and the children and locked the door while she was standing in front of the window and yelling out to the defendant to leave the area, however, the defendant called out to her that he would kill her after he killed her husband.

Officers interviewed the defendant at the TPS, who was calm and normal, and also complied with all instructions given to him by investigators.

According to the defendant’s statement, he was mad at his sister’s husband for what he did to his nephew (defendant’s brother’s son).

The defendant further stated to investigators that after he learned from his brother that it was their sister and her husband who were involved in the beating of his nephew early last month, he was very disappointed and wanted to kill both his sister and her husband.

The defendant admits that he threatened his sister that he would kill her after he killed her husband.

BACKGROUND

In 2017, Aleki was convicted of 3rd degree assault and trespassing, and sentenced by the Court to 12 months probation, following an incident where he went to the same victim’s house uninvited and assaulted his sister’s husband by striking his back with a piece of wood.