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Young daughter calls 911 telling police her father beat up her mother

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Police found victim lying on the bed shaking and crying — but alive
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 33-year-old man was arrested by police last week for allegedly assaulting his wife, after his 7-year-old daughter called 911 for help and told police that her mother was lying on the bed shaking and crying after her father beat her mother up.

Several police officers responded to the call and found the victim, as her daughter had reported, lying on the bed shaking and crying. This while her two minor children surrounded her. Police were unable to locate the suspect at the house when they arrived, however, he was apprehended last Sunday, Mar. 22nd at a friend’s house pursuant to an arrest warrant. This was almost 4 weeks after the alleged incident.

The defendant made his initial appearance before Judge Elvis P. Patea. He’s charged with one count of 2nd degree assault; one count of felonious restraint; both class D felonies; and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor.

Bail is set at $15,000.

If he posts bond, the defendant was ordered to find another place to live and not have any direct or indirect contact with his wife and children until further order of the court.

Preliminary examination (PX) is set for Thursday, Apr. 2nd at 10:30a.m.

THE ALLEGATION

According to the government’s case, this alleged domestic violence incident was reported to police by a 7-year-old girl, after she witnessed the whole thing, when her father assaulted her mother on Feb. 29th, 2020.

The couple lived in a two-story building with their two minor children in the Tafuna area. The two minor children are 7 & 9 years old.

Several police officers responded to the call and proceeded to the second floor of the building where the couple’s room was located. Officers met up with the 7-year-old girl who reported the incident, and she directed officers straight inside the room where her mother was and police observed the victim lying on the bed shaking.

Police spoke with the victim while awaiting the EMS Ambulance to arrive for help. They also observed injuries to the victim’s facial area.

According to the victim’s written statement to police, she was at home talking to her husband on the day of the alleged incident. Everything was normal during their discussion, where she asked her husband about buying groceries for Sunday Toona’i. Her husband told her that he would make sure he did a shopping for their family.

However, out of nowhere as they continued with their conversation, her husband (defendant) was immediately angry at her and started yelling at her for no reason. The victim tried to explain to her husband the reason why she wanted to go and do a shopping but the defendant changed his attitude so quickly.

According to the victim’s statement to police, her husband stood up and started slapping her facial area multiple times. He then pulled her hair and punched her in the face causing her to fall down on the floor. Her husband then continued to punch her face multiple times causing swelling and bruises on the right side of her eye.

The victim was crying and at the same time tried to make her way away from her husband, but her husband grabbed her hair and dragged her from the kitchen to the living room and continued with the assault. At the same time according to the government, the victim was trying to get up and call out for help but her husband pulled her back, held her down on the ground by restraining her from leaving the house, while continuing throwing punches to her facial area and body.

The victim stated to police that while she was on the ground, her husband grabbed a stick about 10-12 inches long and about 1 inch width and struck her on the left side of her head causing it to swell and peeling the skin. The defendant continues the assault by reaching out for the Samoan wooden pillow (Ali) and struck her body several times.

The victim further stated to police that her husband instructed her not to say anything to anyone and for her to shut up and don’t make any noise. If she made any noise or told what happen to anyone, he would finish her off. Furthermore, victim stated that she fears for her life as well as for her two kids who are 7 and 9 years old. During the alleged assault, she said it hurt even more because her two daughters were watching her suffer from the assault.

Investigators were able to interview the two minors children in the presence of their mother (victim).

According to the 7-year-old girl, who is also the one who reported the matter to police, she was very scared looking at her mother being assaulted by her father (suspect).They were told by their father to stay inside their room but they peeked outside by opening the door and saw their father dragging their mother from the kitchen towards the living room.

The witness also told investigators that she saw her father pull her mother’s hair and try to drag her outside of the house. She saw her father grab the wooden pillow and strike her mother several times, which was when she ran and got the phone and called 911 for help. Afterwards, she contacted her aunty to come immediately.

When investigators interviewed the second witness, the 9-year-old girl, she was so scared and afraid she couldn’t speak. However, she told investigators that she remembered staying in the room and heard her mother crying for help.

She told investigators that she heard her father instruct her mother that if she talked to anyone about what happened, he (suspect) would finish her off.

Investigators received additional information regarding the suspect’s attitude towards his wife and children. According to family members, this is not the first time the suspect has done this type of thing to his wife.