receivd email f4om gary kegel regarding this incident-- figgwred best to share so all are aware there is a danger to you u tthere, and to keep accessibility to boat to a minimum while cruising. pago pago has until now been a safe and enjoyable place to cruise---but, as in evry place in this world, stuff happens when guard is down:
They didn't list all of the injuries. Kim ha s2 broken teeth and a broken upper jaw besides what they list.
Two out on probation face felony charges for brutal beating, felonious restraint Wednesday November 2, 2011
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com
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Comments (10)Two men, both on probation from previous crimes, are facing four felony charges for allegedly beating another man on his yacht and trying to strangle the victim - first with a strap and then with an electronic cord.
Jason Muasau and Vatia Tugaga have been charged with one count each of first degree assault, a class A felony punishable by imprisonment for ten to 30 years or life; first degree burglary, a class B felony punishable by five to 15 years imprisonment; and felonious restraint, a class C felony punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment, a fine of $5,000 or both.
The pair is also charged with one count each of resisting arrest, a class D felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment, a fine of $5,000 or both.
Muasau and Tugaga made their initial appearance last Friday in District Court and the pair returned yesterday where the felony charges were filed by the government. Bail for each defendant is set at $100,000 and their preliminary examination hearing is set for next Monday.
Court documents identified Tugaga as George Tulaga but when questioned in District Court at yesterday's hearing the defendant said his legal name is George Tugaga.
According to court documents, a woman called the main police station around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 27 to report that two males were floating on an unknown device and paddling out towards one of the yachts in Pago Bay. The caller was concerned because she knew someone lives on the yacht and their dingy was tied to the yacht.
The witness told police that the two males reached the yacht and climbed aboard and she saw them walking around the boat. The witness then heard screaming and yelling coming from the boat and then heard a lot of noise coming from inside the boat including more muffled screams.
When police arrived on the scene, one officer told the caller that the Marine Patrol boat was on its way.
A Marine Patrol Officer told investigators that officers on the Marine Patrol Boat noticed a wooden log floating near one of the yachts and then heard someone moaning as if they were hurt aboard the same yacht.
As officers turned a spotlight on the yacht, the officers saw Muasau jump off the yacht into the ocean and swim away. The officers called out to Muasau to swim towards the Marine Patrol boat, but the defendant continued to swim away.
Officers managed to reach Muasau who was then pulled into the Marine Patrol boat, but Muasau allegedly resisted them by shaking and pulling his arms away. The officers attempted to detain Muasau, who allegedly continued to physically resist by violently wresting his body away from the officers. Muasau was finally restrained but the defendant allegedly yelled out "I didn't do anything" and swore profanities in Samoan.
Officers then saw Tugaga jump into the ocean and hid between the yacht and a small boat tied to it. The officers told investigators that Tugaga refused to swim toward the Marine Patrol boat. The officers were able to get close to Tugaga and pulled him in to the Marine Patrol but Tugaga also allegedly resisted, but was finally restrained.
The officers then noticed the victim covered in blood crawling from the yacht towards the starboard side. Officers called out to the victim to stay on the boat and that help was on its way.
When questioned by police, the victim said he was asleep on the yacht when he "woke up to someone clubbing the left side of his face," according to court documents, which also state that the victim "received several blows to his face before he was able to defend himself."
The victim "was able to stand up, block a few blows and grab the instrument they were using to beat him," said investigators in court documents.
The victim yelled for help and started pushing and shoving to get out of the yacht but one of the suspects held him while the other showed him a strap by straightening it and then wrapped it around the victim's neck and tried to strangle him while the other held the victim back.
The victim also told police that he was "able to wedge all his fingers between his neck and the strap as he tried to resist," said court documents. "The suspect who was choking him with the strap then dropped it while the other one put [the victim] into a choke hold."
The victim further informed police that he continued to shove to try to get out of the boat and yell for help. At one point, the suspects were able to wrap something else around his neck and continued to strangle him until he lost consciousness just as he saw flashing lights, the court documents allege.
The victim told police that "he remembered thinking, ‘So this is what it is like to die'." When the victim regained consciousness he immediately yelled for help and tried to crawl out into the cockpit of the yacht.
Police were able to interview a male witness, who rowed out to the victim's yacht. As the witness approached the victim's yacht, the witness told police he could hear the victim call out "help me, help me." When the witness reached the victim, "his face was covered with blood and he had an electric cord around his neck.
According to the witness, the victim told him that the assailants had been hitting him with a metal rod they had broken off his tripod. The victim further stated that the assailants had used the metal rod "to twist the cord tightly around his neck."
The victim was taken to LBJ Medical Center for treatment and the attending physician told police that the victim suffered a bruise around the left eye, multiple eye lacerations, a broken tooth, contusions on the left hand wrist, four stitches to the left frontal forehead, 17 stitches to the left ear lobe, three stitches to the left eyebrow and 5 stitches to the left temporal area near the left ear, according to court documents.
