Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 18, 2025, a concerned wife called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) asking for assistance regarding her husband.

The suspect was arrested and charged with Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both imprisonment and fine.

There was no bail set for the defendant.

According to the court affidavit, on Apr. 18th, at around 12:54 a.m., a woman (later identified as the reporter) contacted the TPS claiming her husband was causing a disturbance at their neighbor’s house.

Police responded and upon arrival met up with the reporter. The reporter explained that her husband, Paea Malani, was on his way to the neighbor’s house to cause more disturbance.

Authorities proceeded on foot to locate the suspect and upon approaching him, the officers observed the suspect yelling at the neighbors. The suspect was immediately apprehended and placed inside the police to be transported to the TPS for further investigation.

The reporter was also asked to come to the TPS to provide a written statement regarding the incident.

According to the reporter's written statement, the suspect was yelling profanities and crying out the Samoan War Cry (fa’aūmu) at the neighbors.

She claimed that she tried to stop the suspect but he kept going back to the neighbor’s house and that’s when she contacted the police for assistance.

Upon arrival at the station, the suspect was Mirandized in which he understood but refused to provide a statement regarding what happened,

He was later booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 29-year-old citizen of Tonga.