A Utah man is facing multiple criminal charges after authorities say he left three men with disabilities inside a running vehicle for an extended period, leading to their deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Police in West Valley City, Utah — about 10 miles west of Salt Lake City — said 25-year-old Isaiah Pulu has been charged with three counts of manslaughter and three counts of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult. The charges stem from an incident on Friday, Feb. 6, in which three men were found dead inside a vehicle.
At the time, Pulu was employed as a driver for a company that provides transportation services for adults with disabilities, according to police.
The victims were later identified as Colton Moser, 25, Mosa’ati Moa, 22, and Tim Jones, 39. Authorities said the three men lived in separate assisted living facilities, and it remains unclear where they were being transported that day.
According to a police statement, around lunchtime Pulu stopped at his own home and went inside, leaving the three men in the vehicle with the engine running. He told investigators he returned between one and two hours later and found all three men unresponsive and deceased.
Emergency responders were called to the scene at approximately 2 p.m. local time after reports of three individuals who were not breathing.
Court documents cited by local outlets ABC4 and FOX 13 allege that Pulu spent more than three hours inside his home, during which time he ate lunch and watched television while the men remained in the van.
Pulu told police that when he initially left the vehicle, the garage door was open. Upon returning, he claimed the garage door was closed and the vehicle had shut off and would not restart.
According to ABC4, two of the men were non-verbal. Pulu also told officers that one of the men had been agitated and disruptive, as reported by KSL News Radio.
Following the incident, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to FOX 13 that its Division of Licensing and Background Checks issued a Notice of Emergency Agency Action against Safe and Sounds Services, LLC, the company connected to the transportation service.
The notice prevents the company from serving any new individuals under its day treatment license for 30 days while a full investigation is conducted.
In a statement, the agency said its mission centers on protecting the health and safety of those in care, adding that it deeply mourns the loss of life and extends condolences to the victims’ families.
Pulu was interviewed by police shortly after the incident and arrested later the same day, according to local reports. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on three counts of second-degree felony manslaughter and three misdemeanor counts of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult due to criminal negligence. Authorities said he is being held without bail.
