Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On May 26, 2025, a woman contacted the Faga’itua Police Substation (FPS) and reported that her elderly husband was allegedly assaulted by a man.

The suspect was apprehended and later charged with: Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both imprisonment and fine;

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both; and,

Count 3: Abuse of an Elderly Person, a class C felony punishable by up to seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $5,000.

According to the court affidavit on May 26th, around 3:56 p.m., FPS contacted police officers to relay information regarding Utusia Iuta who allegedly assaulted an elderly man.

The report stated that the Iuta assaulted the victim with a chair by hitting him in the head.

Police officers arrived at the scene around 4:00 p.m., and observed an elderly man wearing a white shirt who was holding his right eye which was covered with blood. The victim was with a man standing near him and appeared to be soaking wet.

One of the officers assessed the victim’s injuries while his partner contacted the Fagatogo Police Station to request an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) for FPS.

Authorities later found out that the man who was with the victim was the suspect, and he was then separated from the victim.

The officers requested the suspect to change into dry clothes to which he complied and was escorted to his house, which is next door to the victim’s house.

Officers heard the suspect muttering, and his demeanor seemed to suggest that he did not feel any remorse about assaulting the elderly man.

The reporter and victim made their way to the police station while the suspect was escorted at a later time by authorities. Upon arrival at the FPS the suspect was isolated in a separate room to be interrogated, while the officers took photos of the victim’s injuries.

The victim was also treated by the EMT. The EMT stated that the victim had a laceration on his upper eyebrow and his vitals were stable.

Of the incident, according to the victim, he gave the suspect his fuel container the previous week but he needed it back. The suspect came to his house to confront him about taking the container. The victim claimed that he saw that the suspect was not happy so he told him to grab a chair and sit down so they could talk. However, the suspect got mad and told him off and then challenged him to a fight.

The suspect also yelled profanities at him. The victim continued that the suspect threatened to hit him with the chair, and he told the suspect that it was up to him. At that time, the suspect grabbed a plastic chair and swung it hard at him, hitting him in the face.

The victim said that he tried to cover his face using his arms but the force from the chair was so strong that it hit his face and the chair flew behind him. The victim further stated that he temporarily lost consciousness and fell on the floor, and that he tried to get back up but fell down again. He also heard the suspect yelling profanities at the reporter and telling her to shut up.

The suspect then walked away and he felt a huge amount of blood coming from his right eye. The victim stated that he made his way towards the suspect and told him to fix his injury before he called police. The suspect told him to call the police and he doesn’t care about the police. The reporter contacted the authorities.

The suspect was Mirandized to which he understood and refused to make a statement.

He was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 42-year-old U.S National.