WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Dec. 25, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A West Valley City father is facing a second-degree felony child abuse charge after he allegedly hogtied his teenage son and beat him.
A probable cause statement from Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court said Isbell Pupa, 55, is also facing a charge of third-degree felony tampering with a witness/juror.
The statement said detectives with West Valley City Police Department received a child abuse neglect report that stated children within the home may have been subject to physical abuse, and their father, Isbell Pupa, was the A/P (accused person).
A 14-year-old boy told detectives he was “hogtied” with a long blue rope, “his mouth was covered with his sister’s medical wrap and the A/P struck him on his bare back, arms and legs with a black work belt.”
The victim also disclosed multiple incidents were the A/P allegedly hit him with the work belt, and showed detectives scars on his back, arms and legs. Photos were obtained for evidence, the statement said.
A 4-year-old boy, also Pupa’s son, told detectives he was told “if anyone asks you, if anyone hit you, say no.”
A residential search warrant was completed on Dec. 18, the probable cause statement said, and evidence was recovered from the home that was consistent with the teen’s disclosure.
A suspect interview was conducted with the A/P; he denied using his work belt to discipline his children. The A/P acknowledged he disciplines his children by spanking their buttocks and sending them to their bedrooms, the statement said.
Isbell Pupa was booked into Salt Lake County Jail with his bail set at $50,000.
On Sept. 22, Irene Pupa, 52, Isbell Pupa’s wife, was arrested and charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of a second-degree felony child abuse.
The probable cause statement for Irene Pupa said: “A/P told her son to clean the exterior of the home. When the son, who is 14, became belligerent she took a broom stick from the son’s hands and used it to strike the son multiple times. The resulting injuries were cuts on the head, legs and feet with stitches being required to repair the cuts. The son was transferred to a level 5 children’s hospital for skull fractures.”
Irene Pupa was booked into Salt Lake County Jail, with her bail set at $10,000.
