Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 11, 2024, at about 5:25pm, a woman contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) requesting assistance with her husband, Samipaea Pahulu. The caller reported that she had allegedly been assaulted by her husband at their residence in Aua.

Pahulu was charged with one count of Assault in the Third Degree — a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1000 but not less than $150, or both.

Bail for the defendant was set at $1000.

According to the affidavit, when police officers arrived at the scene, they observed a male individual sitting outside of the residence. The male individual was identified as the suspect, Samipaea Pahulu. As officers approached the residence, a woman identified herself as the caller and wife of the suspect.

The victim stated “while she sat inside her room with her daughters, the defendant walked in and unplugged their electric fan.” The victim claimed that she noticed her husband was under the influence of alcohol, so she ignored him.

She further stated that “she was shocked when the defendant stood up and slapped her left cheek three times with an open fist and pushed her 4-year-old daughter to the ground.” It was when her daughter began crying loud enough for her husband to hear that she (victim) ran to the neighbor’s house to look for a phone to call the police station for assistance.

Police officers noted in the victim’s statement that allegedly “whenever the defendant was under the influence of alcohol he always blamed her for something she didn’t do and beat her up.”

Police officers offered to take the victim and her daughters to the hospital, however she refused.

Officers apprehended the suspect and transported him to the FPS.

The defendant was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) to await the next sitting of District Court.

The suspect was identified as a 44 year old citizen of Tonga.