Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 8, 2024, a couple walked into the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) along with a business owner regarding a damaged rental vehicle. The wife alleged that her husband (suspect) damaged the vehicle during an altercation.

The suspect/ husband was later charged with:

Count 1: Property Damage in the First Degree, a class D felony punishable by imprisonment of not less than 90 days and not more than five years, a fine of $5,000, or both; and,

Count 2: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300. but not less than $150, or both.

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

According to the affidavit, on Dec. 8th, at around 4:45 p.m., two individuals entered the FPS along with a distressed business owner who was later identified as the owner of the property that had been damaged. The two individuals were identified as Demetry Fuiava (later identified as the suspect) and his wife.

The couple were talking over each other and showing clear signs of disagreement and frustration. One of the officers placed the suspect/ husband in a separate room, while doing so, the suspect informed the officers and the business owner (owner of the vehicle damaged) that he will pay for all the damages that he caused.

Another officer was assigned to interview the suspect’s wife in a separate room where she was asked to explain what had happened. According to her, her husband (suspect) had called her to come pick up the money to buy groceries for their 2 kids because he stays in Aunu’u. She also mentioned that their marriage is undergoing divorce procedures.

When she picked him up from Auasi, they had a disagreement on the way to the store. The suspect got aggravated and repeatedly punched the vehicle’s dashboard causing it to break. When exiting the vehicle, the suspect slammed the passenger door resulting in the removal of the passenger door’s plastic sill.

Moreover, the wife stated that the suspect repeatedly attempted to roll the car over on its side. He then entered the car again and she used that opportunity to drive them straight to the FPS while contacting the owner of the rental, who met them at the station.

There at the station, she informed the owner of all the damages caused by the suspect.

The officers proceeded to the station’s parking lot to assess the damages to the vehicle: a broken and out of place dashboard, a missing door sill located on the passenger’s door right beneath the handle.

The rental vehicle’s owner was instructed by the authorities to seek a mechanic specialist to conduct an estimated evaluation on the damages to which she did so with ASCO motors in Pago.

On Jan. 9, 2025, the owner provided the authorities with documents containing blueprinted images of the vehicle’s damaged parts and a total estimated cost of repair. ASCO informed the owner that the cost of replacement parts would be $1,787.00 but that they would not be able to install the parts.

The owner got another estimate for installing the parts from another mechanic shop who stated that the cost of repair for the damage caused is around $3,478.00.

The officers attempted to contact the suspect following the receipt of the damage estimates and after numerous days of unsuccessful attempts, police received word that the suspect wasn’t located in Aunu’u and that one of his friends informed them that the suspect’s sisters were planning to take the suspect overseas.

The business owner was informed of the situation to which she responded to go forward with pressing charges against the suspect.