SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, June 16, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake County man has been arrested after allegedly beating a victim during a violent home invasion.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County said Mafitangata Austin Pulu, 25, is facing charges of:
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a second-degree felony
- Receive or transfer a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Theft by receiving stolen property, a class B misdemeanor
On June 5, West Valley City Police Department officers located a stolen vehicle at the Tuscany Cove Apartment complex at 3792 W. 3500 South, the statement said. A man later identified as Pulu was observed getting out of the vehicle and attempting to walk away. Officers commanded him to stop and he began to run from them.
“When they caught him, he was holding a silver folding knife and the car keys to the stolen vehicle,” the statement said. “Once he was taken in to custody he was read Miranda and he stated he did not want to talk to the officers.”
When West Valley police notified the registered owner of the vehicle, she responded and told the officers her mother was the victim of a home invasion robbery. Unified police officers had responded to a residence in the area of 3330 S. 8280 West on a report of an assault, the statement said.
“The complainant told dispatch she arrived home to find her mother had been beaten and was bleeding and nobody was in the residence with her,” the statement said.
“When officers arrived, they attempted to talk to the victim but she was not able to talk due to the serious head injuries she had sustained. She was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where she is being treated for a brain bleed and facial fractures.”
The victim’s daughter found her mother nude from the waist down and covered in blood, the statement said.
Detectives spoke to the officers who had responded to the assault call, who said the house had appeared to have been gone through and was in complete disarray.
The victim’s daughter stated she had last seen her mother on June 4, and the residence was spotlessly clean.
Detectives observed and confirmed items located inside the stolen vehicle were from inside the victim’s residence, the statement said. Pulu was the only person observed inside the stolen vehicle with the items taken from inside the residence.
“Pulu has several violent felony charges involving weapons with convictions and has an active warrant for robbery,” the statement said. “He has previously been charged with witness tampering. Due to Pulu having a history of fleeing from local law enforcement and proving to be a substantial risk to the public, it is requested that he remain in police custody.”
Pulu was transported to Salt Lake County Jail with his bail set at $95,680.
