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Pastor allegedly threatened with machete at BINGO

COURT REPORT logo
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In April of this year, a man contacted the Fagatogo Police Central Station to seek assistance regarding a suspect that was allegedly disturbing the peace and threatening the pastor with a machete.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six months, a fine of $500, or both; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree ( As a C. Misd.) (DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $500 but not less than $500, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

According to the affidavit, on April 30, 2024 at about 8:13 p.m, a male individual contacted the FPS regarding an unknown male who was later identified as Clinton Tofaeono. The reporter claimed that the suspect was disturbing the peace and causing a scene while walking to the Pastor’s residence with a machete.

Police officers responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene around 8:21 p.m in Amaua, they observed a male individual (later identified as the reporter) approaching them. The reporter stated that the suspect was disturbing the peace by yelling profanities while they were having a function at their church hall. The reporter stated that the suspect was chased away by the pastor but he returned within minutes with a machete.

According to the pastor (the victim), it started with the suspect (Tofaeono) and his son having a little argument in the back of their kitchen hall. The pastor explained that “their mumbling got louder when they were having a function (bingo) at the moment.”

He then approached both the father and son and gave them a scolding for being immature while they were hosting a function. The pastor explained that Tofaeono was not “having it” so he started disrupting one of the old ladies that were playing bingo by grabbing a bottle of water and throwing it on her table.

The pastor stated he stood up again and chased the suspect home and that a few minutes later the suspect returned with a machete and walked towards him at a fast pace.

Tofaeono then threatened him with the machete and said “Come here then and show me what you got”. The pastor grabbed a chair to defend himself. The church people who were there at the church function (bingo) intervened and stopped the suspect.

The suspect went back home. The pastor then told the reporter to contact FPS for assistance to remove Tofaeono away from the village before he does anything terrible.

Upon arrival at the FPS at around 8:58 p.m, Tofaeono was Mirandized and refused to make a statement.

He was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility for confinement until the next available sitting of the court.

The defendant is identified as a 31 year-old U.S National.