Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In April of this year, a concerned family member contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report her sister who allegedly assaulted their tenant for refusing to give her money.

The suspect (the sister) was later apprehended and charged with the following:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both;

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree ( As a C. Misd.) (DV) — a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both; and,

Count 3: Property Damage in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $2,000.

According to the affidavit, investigation revealed that on April 29, 2024 at about 12:45 p.m, a female individual called the TPS to report her sister Lesieli Fanene (suspect) was trying to fight her tenant (victim) at their property in Malaeimi.

Officers were dispatched to the scene and upon arrival met with the reporter who is the suspect’s sister.

According to the suspect’s sister, she explained that her sister Lisieli threatened to beat up the 49 year-old victim for not lending her money — the suspect apparently got mad when the victim refused to give her the $200 she was asking to borrow.

Allegedly, Lisieli also started yelling profanities at the victim and told her she was going to beat her up and damage the victim’s vehicle parked outside the house.

Lisieli’s sister stated she had to hold her sister back when she was trying to beat up the victim. She said it was when her sister drove away in her car that she called the police for assistance.

Police officers interviewed the victim at the scene. According to the victim, the suspect came to her house and demanded that she give her $200.00. The victim stated she refused to give the suspect the money. Then out of anger the suspect threatened her saying that she was going to damage all her rental vehicles parked outside the house.

The victim further explained to the officers that the suspect kept demanding that she give her money. She said “fearing for her life, she called the older sister to come help because she was scared of Lesieli.”

The victim stated that when the suspect’s sister arrived at the house, she tried to explain what happened but the suspect got mad and started yelling profanities and threatened to beat her up. The victim informed officers that the suspect slapped her hand when she was holding her phone. Also, Lesieli threw a punch at her but missed and then the suspect threw her with a metal pipe hitting her on the stomach.

The victim admitted that she tried to record the suspect when she tried to fight her, but she was lucky as the suspect’s sister was there to hold the suspect back. The victim was able to record the suspect on her phone getting in her vehicle while yelling profanities and threatening to damage her vehicles.

Moreover, when the victim got into her vehicle, she rammed one of her (the victim) vehicles parked outside in the driveway. The victim explained that the worth of damage to her vehicle is $1,000.

The victim was able to provide the video footage of the suspect threatening and using her car to ram into the victim’s vehicle.

Officers asked the victim if she needed medical assistance and she declined.

On April 29, 2024 at about 3:41 p.m, another woman called the TPS to report that the suspect’s vehicle was parked outside their home in Malaeimi. After receiving the call, the officer responded and upon arrival met up with the suspect’s sister and directed officers to the suspect’s room. The suspect was quickly apprehended and transported to the TPS to be processed.

Upon arrival at the station the suspect was Mirandized which she agreed to make a statement.

According to the suspect, she did not force the victim to give her any money but she did ask in a polite way. She admitted to slapping the victim’s hand when she was holding her phone. When officers showed her the footage from the victim and asked the suspect if that was her, she replied “yes”.

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

The defendant is identified as a 25 year-old U.S National.