Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — An intoxicated man was arrested after a woman who was riding on the same bus requested police assistance, claiming that the man inappropriately touched her.

When police officers arrested the man, a glass pipe commonly used to smoke ice, containing white crystalline substances and a cut up straw containing white crystalline substance was found in his possession.

Faasega Latu, 40, made his initial appearance in court last month where the court set his bail in the amount of $10,000.

Latu is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a felony, punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 10 years, a fine of up to $20,000, or both; along with one count of 3rd degree assault and public peace disturbance, both class A misdemeanors.

The government claims that on Oct. 29, 2020, around 2:23 p.m, a 29-year-old woman called the TPS reporting an alleged incident involving the defendant.

The woman stated to police when she was interviewed that she was on the bus from Nu’uuli to Leone when a man got on the bus and sat next to her. She smelled a strong odor of alcohol right after the man sat beside her.

She could see that the suspect was staring at her intently for a long time. The suspect asked her if he could hold her hand and she told him no. She moved closer to the window but the suspect kept moving along with her.

The victim said the defendant’s upper body (left shoulder) was on her right arm and she felt trapped and at the same time scared. That is when the suspect allegedly touched her inappropriately.

It was at that time the victim stood up and moved to the front of the bus until the bus stopped at her house.

Immediately after the victim arrived at home, she called police regarding the alleged incident and the defendant was later arrested while still riding the bus on his way to Leone.

When the defendant was apprehended, police smelled a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He was transported to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for questioning. He was also patted down prior to being transported, and officers discovered a glass pipe containing white crystalline substance inside his pant’s pocket.

The defendant refused to make a statement to the police.