Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 12, 2026, an individual contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and reported a family disturbance that allegedly involved the assault of two minors. 

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2 & 3: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the court affidavit, the incident was reported to the TPS, at approximately 8:09 a.m. Responding officers proceeded to a residence in Malaeloa that reportedly involved a family member. 

Upon arrival, they made contact with the reporting party in front of her residence. She provided officers with both a verbal and written account of what she said occurred.

According to the reporter, she had been playing chess with another individual inside the pavilion covering a grave located in front of the residence. At the same time, two juveniles were playing and wrestling near the cement gate in front of the pavilion.

The reporter told police that she heard the suspect yelling at the two juveniles from his residence, which was located approximately 50-feet uphill from where the children were playing.

She said she then observed the suspect approach the juveniles while carrying what appeared to be a white PVC pipe. The suspect allegedly threw the PVC pipe at one of the juveniles, but it missed him. 

The reporter continued that the suspect then made a threatening remark at one of the juveniles before grabbing one of them and dragging him uphill towards the residence.

The reporter told officers that the suspect was yelling profanities as he took the juvenile toward the house.

Concerned about what was happening, the reporter said she grabbed a baseball bat and followed them to the residence. Once she arrived at the house, an altercation allegedly developed between her and the suspect. 

She told police that the suspect attempted to wrest the baseball bat from her. During the confrontation, the suspect allegedly turned his attention to the juvenile and began striking him.

The reporting party alleged that the suspect slapped and punched the juvenile repeatedly. She also told investigators that the incident was particularly concerning because she believed the suspect's behavior was part of a pattern of aggressive conduct toward family members.

Police subsequently interviewed the juvenile who was allegedly assaulted.

The juvenile reportedly told officers that he had been playing with another child when the suspect began yelling and cursing at them. He stated that the suspect then charged towards them and threw a white PVC pipe at the other child, but missed.

According to the juvenile's account, the suspect grabbed him and dragged him uphill toward the residence.

Once they reached the house, the juvenile alleged that the suspect slapped him and struck him several times with his fists.

The juvenile also provided officers with information for his parents and later helped officers identify the suspect's whereabouts.Officers also noted that the juvenile did not have any visible physical injuries at the time of their interview.

The juvenile in addition told police that an argument developed between the suspect and the reporting party, who had been playing chess nearby.

While two officers went to locate the suspect, other officers remained at the scene and interviewed individuals who reportedly witnessed portions of the incident.

One witness told police that she had been playing chess with the reporter inside the grave-pavilion when she overheard the suspect cursing and yelling at the juveniles.

The witness reportedly observed the suspect confront the children and attempt to strike one of them with a PVC pipe, but missed.

The witness said the incident then led to an argument between the suspect and the reporting party over his conduct toward the juveniles.

Another witness, who was at the suspect's residence, reportedly provided additional information about the confrontation. She said she was inside the house when she heard a commotion coming from the area of the reporting party's residence.

She said she heard the suspect and the reporting party arguing and exchanging profanities; and when she exited the house, she reportedly observed the two involved in a struggle over the baseball bat. The witness said a neighbor attempted to separate them.

After the confrontation between the two adults ended, the witness reportedly observed the suspect direct his aggression towards the juvenile. She told police that the suspect repeatedly struck the juvenile in the face.

Meanwhile, officers searching for the suspect located him near a bus stop in front of another residence in Malaeloa at approximately 9:25 a.m.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident and transported to the TPS. At approximately 10:04 a.m., the suspect was Mirandized to which he acknowledged that he understood his rights and signed a waiver indicating that he was willing to answer questions and provide his account of the incident.

During his interview, the suspect provided officers with a different version of events.

He told police that he had gotten up that morning and was preparing his belongings for village roadwork when he noticed the two juveniles playing near the gate in front of the grave-pavilion.

The suspect said he was concerned about the children's safety and called out to them, telling them to stop or be careful.

According to his statement, one of the juveniles laughed and mocked him.

The suspect told officers that he became upset and rushed towards the juveniles, throwing a PVC pipe at one of them.

He claimed that he then returned to his residence and did not realize that the reporting party had followed him.

The suspect claimed that once he entered his house, the reporting party struck the door with a baseball bat. He said she subsequently struck him with the bat three times.

According to the suspect, he grabbed the baseball bat during the third strike in an attempt to stop the assault. He further claimed that the reporting party continued slapping him in the face after he had taken hold of the bat.

The suspect said that after the situation with the reporting party had calmed down, he noticed the juvenile passing by and called him over.

The suspect acknowledged to police that he slapped the juvenile but denied punching him.

Following the interview, the suspect was booked and confined at approximately 10:09 a.m. Police then contacted the juvenile's father, who is also reportedly the suspect's brother, to inform him about the incident.

During the telephone conversation, the father reportedly told investigators that he believed the incident was not an isolated occurrence.

According to the report, the father said there had been multiple previous incidents involving alleged violence by the suspect towards his son.

The father reportedly stated that the family had previously sought a restraining order against the suspect approximately two to three years ago because of the earlier incidents.

After the suspect was processed at the TPS, officers transported him to the Tafuna Correctional Facility, where he was secured at approximately 11:12 a.m.

Officers later returned to the reporting party's residence in Malaeloa to conduct a follow-up interview regarding the suspect's account of the incident.

However, the reporting party was not at the residence when officers arrived. Police also attempted to contact her by cellphone but were unsuccessful. The officers subsequently returned to the station. 

The police report documents the conflicting accounts from the parties involved.

The defendant is identified as a 46-year-old U.S national.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on August 13, 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.]