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News

Hawthorne Man Arrested for Choking His Wife, Pepper Spraying His Six Kids

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Photo by Adrin Shamsudin via Shutterstock
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Police say they have arrested a Hawthorne man who pepper sprayed his kids when they tried to stop him from choking his wife, The Daily Breeze reports.

The man Lakepa Tahi Fifita, 45, began choking his wife during an argument about finances. When his children asked him to stop, he asked one of them to fetch him a can of pepper spray, which he then turned on them.

The man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of child abuse and domestic violence and is being held in jail on $90,000 bail, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani told the paper.

The six children, ranging from 4 to 16 years old, are staying with their mother, but the county Department of Children and Family Services has opened an investigation.

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