Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who allegedly threatened a neighbor family with a machete was arrested in June of this year and is being held without bond after he appeared in court last month.

The defendant, Malaki Seumanu, is charged with multiple felonies which include unlawful possession of methamphetamine (meth), as well as burglary and assault; and several misdemeanors that include two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of PPD.

THE CASE

The government alleges that on June 30, 2022, a woman from Nuuuli contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) regarding her neighbor who threatened her and her family with a machete and told her that he would kill her and her family if anyone contacted police about his actions.

Several police officers responded to the call and met up with the woman who reported the matter, standing in front of her house with her four young children surrounding her. The woman was later identified as the victim in this matter.

According to the victim, she was working at the back of her house when she heard her kids crying and saw them running towards her. As she was trying to figured out what was going on with her children, she was shocked when her neighbor, Malaki Seumanu, the defendant in this matter approached her in an angry manner asking her why she reported to the village Mayor that he was selling drugs from his house.

The victim told the defendant she didn’t know what he was talking about because she never spoke to the village mayor about anything.

Allegedly the defendant was out of control and grabbed a machete and attempted to swing it at the victim to try and intimidate her so she would admit that she spoke to the village mayor about him.

The victim’s children were standing behind their mother while the defendant was threatening her with the machete.

The victim yelled at the defendant to leave her and her children alone. She also told the defendant she was going to call the police and grabbed her phone but the defendant managed to grab her from the back trying to take away the phone from her.

As the defendant was trying to grab the phone away from the victim, the victim’s 14-year-old daughter jumped in and tried to push the defendant away from her mother. That’s when the defendant slapped the victim’s daughter in the face before pushing her away from him.

While scuffling with the defendant, the defendant punched the victim on the back of her head causing the victim to pass out and fall to the ground. She regained consciousness after her kids splashed water on her in an effort to wake her up.

Cops also interviewed the victim’s children regarding the alleged incident. They confirmed their mother’s account.

Investigators observed abrasions on the neck and facial area of the 14-year-old daughter.

After interviewing the victim and her kids, investigators went to the defendant’s house to locate him, where his father told investigators the defendant was inside his room sleeping. The defendant was apprehended from inside his room and was transported to the TPS for further investigation.

The defendant was patted down for weapons or contraband during his arrest. During the body search, investigators found a glass pipe containing a white crystalline substance inside the defendant’s right pocket.

The defendant admitted that he threatened his neighbor with the machete just to scare her and her children. He also admitted to assaulting the victim’s daughter.

The defendant told investigators that he was very upset because the victim’s brother burglarized his home and stole several personal belonging while he was at work in May of this year. He also learned from a church member that the victim told the village mayor that he was selling drugs from his home.

After the defendant was interviewed by investigators, he was later transported to the TCF where he was booked and detained.

The white crystalline substance found inside the defendant’s pocket was tested and the result tested positive for meth.