Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On June 30, 2025, a concerned grandmother contacted the Fagatogo Police Station and reported her son for allegedly assaulting her grandson by choking him.

The suspect fled the scene but was later captured and charged with:

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

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, fine of $1,000, or both; and,

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

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

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

According to the court affidavit, on June 30th, police officers were dispatched to a distressed call from an older lady (later identified as the reporter) regarding her son.

The reporter alleged that her son (later identified as the suspect) strangled her grandson, who is a minor.

Police officers responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene, one of the officers approached the wooded area trying to locate the suspect who was reported to have fled the scene upon hearing the police arrive.

After unsuccessful attempts, the officers regrouped in front of the victim’s residence and gathered information from bystanders and the victim’s mother.

According to the victim’s mother, her son had told her that the suspect was frustrated with him because of something he didn’t do, and as a result the suspect aggressively pushed him from behind which resulted in him hitting his head on a metal pole inside the house.

The mother continued that according to her son, he sprinted to the front of their home’s entrance door and stood where his grandparents were.

In Samoan, the suspect asked him “If it’s nice?” in which her son responded sarcastically “Yes! It’s nice” in Samoan.The mother further stated that her son claimed that upon hearing this, the suspect rushed towards where he was standing and started strangling him with both hands. The suspect didn’t know that the grandparents were in the front, on the other side of the patio.

Police noted that the victim was timid from the incident and his mother spoke for him following police response to the scene.

The reporter (victim’s grandmother) was also interviewed, she stated that upon seeing the victim being strangled, she stood up with her medical wheel walker and attempted to hit the suspect with it. The reporter claimed that she tried to separate the suspect from the victim who was momentarily being choked and vigorously being yanked around.

The affidavit stated that the victim did not display any sign of injury.

After obtaining statements from the reporter and her granddaughter who claimed that the suspect showed her his wallet with a baggie filled with a white substance the day before. She believed that it was meth.

The officers advised the family not to confront the suspect if he came back but to contact them.

Later that night, police received a call from the victim’s mother that the suspect was heard roaming upstairs in his room.

Police responded to the call and were able to apprehend the suspect and transported him down to the station where he was Mirandized.

The suspect waived his rights and claimed that he didn’t choke the victim but he only attempted to hit him and that was it.

He added that someone needed to teach that kid a lesson. During interrogation, the suspect appeared to be under the influence of something, but not alcohol.

The suspect was booked and confined to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 58-year-old U.S National.