Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two men, identified by police as Eli Pa and Stanley Saletonu, were arrested in connection with an alleged violent late-night assault outside a bar in Tafuna, on February 22, 2026.

The defendants were later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine not more than $1,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine not to exceed $500, or both.

Both defendants were held without bail.

The court affidavit was filed in the District Court on Feb. 25, 2026. It states that the incident was reported at approximately 1:52 a.m., when a caller contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report that a fight was in progress near the entrance of a bar, with multiple individuals allegedly beating up two men.

Officers responded immediately and arrived on the scene within minutes, where they observed a crowd gathered outside the establishment.

Upon arrival, officers made initial contact with one of the individuals involved, who reported that he had been struck in the mouth by a beer bottle thrown by an unknown person as he was walking toward the entrance of the bar.

According to his statement, the sudden impact caused confusion and led him to turn toward a nearby group of individuals, which resulted in a verbal confrontation. Security personnel quickly intervened and attempted to calm the situation.

Officers then spoke with the victim and another individual who was with him at the time. Due to a language barrier, the second individual assisted officers by translating the victim’s statement from Spanish to English.

According to the victim, he and his companion were leaving the bar and waiting outside for transportation when an unidentified male approached them aggressively, shouting “It’s you” multiple times before punching the victim in the mouth without warning.

The victim stated that immediately after the initial punch, two other individuals — later identified as Eli Pa and Stanley Saletonu — ran towards him and joined in the assault.

Both suspects allegedly began striking the victim repeatedly in the face, while also attacking the victim’s companion. The victim told officers that he had no prior interaction with the suspects and did not know why he was targeted.

Witnesses at the scene, including bar security personnel, provided statements that largely supported the victim’s account. One security employee reported that while exiting the bar, she observed one of the suspects running towards the victim and initiating the attack. She stated that both suspects then began punching the victim multiple times in the face, continuing even after he appeared to lose consciousness.

She and other staff members quickly intervened and were eventually able to pull the suspects away from the victim.

Another security worker stated that he was managing the crowd at the entrance when he turned and saw the victim on the ground while both suspects were actively striking him. He immediately called for assistance, and together with other staff, they broke up the altercation and separated those involved.

Police noted that both suspects were positively identified by the victim, his companion, and the witnesses at the scene. Witnesses also indicated that the suspects were known to them as regular patrons of the bar. Authorities further stated that no witnesses observed the victim throwing a beer bottle, contradicting the initial claim made by one of the involved individuals.

Emergency medical services responded shortly after the incident and treated the victim for injuries sustained during the assault. Officers observed visible injuries to the victim’s face, including swelling, bruising, redness, and minor cuts. Photographs of the injuries were taken as part of the investigation.

The victim was treated on-site and later cleared without requiring further hospitalization.

At approximately 3:17 a.m., officers located Pa and Saletonu at a nearby parking lot. They were approached by police and agreed to accompany officers to the TPS for questioning regarding the incident.

At the station, both suspects were advised of their constitutional rights, which they acknowledged and voluntarily waived.

During questioning, Pa claimed that he witnessed the victim throw a beer bottle at his friend and stated that he intervened only to prevent a fight, denying that he assaulted the victim. Saletonu also denied involvement, stating that he had gone outside after noticing a commotion and only attempted to stop the altercation.

Despite their denials, police determined that there was sufficient evidence to proceed with the case based on consistent witness statements and the victim’s account of the incident.

Authorities confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and the case would be forwarded to the District Court for further proceedings.

Eli Pa is identified as a 24-year-old citizen of Samoa; whereas Stanley Saletonu is a 27-year-old U.S National.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision. Under local law, defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty by the court.]