Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man facing "several matters" including a current criminal case, a criminal summons, an outstanding bench warrant (for failing to appear on an Order to Show Cause in 2016), and outstanding fines of $150 is remanded to custody at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) with bail set at $1,000.

Panapa Lolo, 29, made his initial appearance in District Court this past Tuesday on charges of private peace disturbance (domestic violence), third degree assault (domestic violence), endangering the welfare of a child, third degree property damage, and resisting arrest.

Through his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Anna Whiles, Lolo pled 'not guilty' to all five charges in his new case, and two charges from a previous case, whereby he is accused of trying to punch his sister, and throwing a mug at her while she was holding her two-month-old baby.

Both cases involve domestic violence and therefore, have been transferred to the Family, Drug, and Alcohol (FDA) court for pretrial conference on Monday, May 6th.

NEW CASE

This past Monday, Lolo "demanded his mother give him $100," according to the criminal complaint. Lolo is alleged to have become "angry" when his mother told him she "didn't have a dollar in her purse".

Lolo, who is unemployed, then "aggressively slapped his 1-year-old niece", causing the baby to fall backwards. Luckily, according to court documents, the toddler's mother "caught" the child, keeping her from landing on the floor.

Lolo's father yelled at him for slapping the baby and Lolo responded by cussing him out.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Lolo sitting on a wooden bed in the family room "demanding an answer from his mother" on why she contacted police. An officer tried to handcuff Lolo but Lolo "pushed" the officer away and ran out the front door, towards a friend's home, about 200 yards away.

Police were in pursuit of Lolo but couldn't find him. So they left, and told family members to call the police station if Lolo returns. About 10 minutes after the officers returned to the DPS Leone Substation, they received a call from Lolo's sister who said Lolo was making "threats" against the family. She told police that Lolo returned home, "kicked down the front door and threatened to kill his family". He was also allegedly shouting profanities at his family members.

Cops from the DPS Tafuna Substation were contacted for assistance. When they arrived, they discovered that Lolo had locked the front door. Lolo's father unlocked it for police and Lolo then ran to the back door (which his mother had locked, confining him to the family room).

The court affidavit notes that when police entered the family room, they found Lolo trying to unlock the back door. Lolo was ultimately handcuffed and taken into custody.

According to the criminal complaint, Lolo's family told investigators that they don't want Lolo to return home. Instead, they want him deported back to Samoa because according to them, in December 2018, Lolo tried to stab his younger sister with a kitchen knife because "she refused to do what he wanted."

In January 2019, according to the court affidavit, the same thing occurred. When police show up at Lolo's home, he "flees and returns later, yelling at his family from the yard, threatening to kill them, throwing rocks at the windows."

Family members told police they do "not feel safe" when Lolo "is around them or near their residence."

According to an Immigration officer, Lolo's ID expires later this year in July.

Judge Elvis P. Patea has ordered $1,000 bail (aggregate) for both cases.