Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 29, 2024, Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received several calls from concerned neighbors regarding a peace disturbance near their apartment complex in Ottoville. A woman was apprehended when police officers discovered an intoxicated minor vomiting in her house.

The suspect was arrested and later charged with the following:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both;

Count 2: Aiding a Child to Possess or Consume Alcohol — a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1,000, or both; and,

Count 3: Endangering the Welfare of a Child — a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

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

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved in the case to protect the identity of the minor.)

According to the affidavit, on January 29, 2024 at about 5:04 p.m, TPS received a call from a concerned neighbor to report a disturbance near the apartments where she rents. The neighbor stated “that loud music was being played and people were shouting the Samoan war cry (fa’aumu) repeatedly.

A minute later, another concerned neighbor also contacted the TPS to report the same disturbance near their apartment in Ottoville. She also reported hearing loud music and people shouting the Samoan war cry (fa’aumu) which alarmed her and other tenants at the apartment.

When officers arrived at the scene, they met with a female later identified as the suspect.

The police officers interviewed the suspect at her aunt’s house and explained why they were there. The female suspect was informed of complaints being reported by nearby neighbors regarding the noise complaint. As officers spoke with the suspect, a strong odor of alcohol was emitting from her breath, according to the affidavit. The suspect told police officers repeatedly that “it’s her property and (she) would do as she wants.” She also stated that the curfew was 10 p.m, not the evening time.

 Furthermore, the affidavit stated that as one of the police officers looked around the house, he saw several empty beer bottles including two new (unopened) beer cans where the suspect was standing. As the officer continued to explain to the victim to turn down her speaker due to the neighbors’ complaints about the noise, he was told by another police officer that there was a minor, a 13-year-old boy “puking” repeatedly on the floor and smelled of alcohol.

(The date of birth is given in the affidavit, but not how the officer(s) knew the boy was 13 years old.)

The suspect was apprehended at the scene after the minor was asked by one of the officers about who gave him alcohol and the minor stated that “it was the woman who I (the officer) spoke to”.

Both suspect and victim were then transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the TPS, EMS were contacted by dispatch since the minor continued to vomit outside the station and said that “he was dizzy and felt unwell”.

At TPS, EMS checked the victim’s vitals, and paramedics confirmed that the minor’s vitals were good— “but he was just drunk”.

A police officer administered the Breathalyzer and the minor blew a Bac% of 0.054.

The suspect was Mirandized and agreed to make a statement and answer any questions.

According to the suspect, the minor was lying and that she did not provide him any alcoholic beverages and she doesn’t know what happened.

She explained that she had hired the minor to do chores at her aunt’s house and would pay him $20.00 when the job was completed.

Police officers were also able to interview that minor in presence of his mother.

According to the 13-year-old boy, he was helping the suspect with her house repairs. After they were done, he and the suspect went to a store and he got a soda and twisty chips, while the suspect bought beer from the store in Ottoville.

When they returned to the suspect’s home (aunt’s home), the minor said she forced him to taste the alcoholic beverage she was drinking. He said that she also gave him a new can of beer and told him to drink it.

He explained that he drank it half way and then he got very dizzy and started puking in the house. He said that he went to sleep and woke up when police officers arrived at the house.

 The minor also revealed that the suspect “did not even pay him $20 for his hard work but only bought him chips and a soda”.

He said that it was the suspect that was shouting the Samoan war cry (fa’aumu) repeatedly while turning the speaker volume to the max while listening to the music.

Child Protection Services (CPS) were also contacted by police officers however were told they cannot do anything since the minor was intoxicated. Police officers were told by the CPS caseworker to release the minor to his mother.

The suspect was booked at the TPS and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined.

The suspect/ defendant is identified as a 38 year-old, U.S National from Ottoville.