A Utah man is facing multiple felony 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.
West Valley City police said 25-year-old Isaiah Pulu has been charged with three counts of manslaughter and three counts of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult in connection with the deaths, which occurred Friday, Feb. 6. West Valley City is located about 10 miles outside Salt Lake City.
According to police, Pulu was employed as a driver for a company that provides transportation for adults with disabilities at the time of the incident.
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, though it was not immediately clear where they were being taken that day.
Police said that around lunchtime, Pulu stopped at his own home and went inside, leaving the three men in the running vehicle. He later told investigators that he returned one to two hours afterward and found all three men dead.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene around 2 p.m. local time after receiving a report of three individuals who were unresponsive and 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 reportedly ate lunch and watched television while the men remained in the van.
Pulu told officers that when he left the vehicle, the garage door was open. When he returned, he claimed the garage door was closed and the vehicle was turned off and would not restart.
ABC4 reported that two of the men were non-verbal. Pulu also told police that one of the passengers had been disruptive and would not calm down, according to KSL News Radio.
Following the incident, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services said its Division of Licensing and Background Checks issued a Notice of Emergency Agency Action to Safe and Sounds Services, LLC.
The agency said the action temporarily prohibits the company from accepting any new clients under its day treatment license for 30 days while a full investigation is conducted.
“At the core of our work is a commitment to the health and safety of people being served,” the agency said in a statement. “When safety is compromised and lives are lost, we feel it deeply. Our hearts go out to the loved ones and families as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Police interviewed Pulu shortly after the incident and arrested him several hours later.
He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on three counts of manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and three counts of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult involving criminal negligence, a misdemeanor. He is currently being held without bail.
