From Deseret News archives:

Second suspect in Provo kidnapping may be in California

Published: Friday, Aug. 8, 2008 5:28 p.m. MDT
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PROVO — One man is in custody, but police are still looking for a second suspect in the kidnapping of a 24-year-old Provo woman last weekend.

On Thursday, Utah County prosecutors charged Sifa Pulu, 25, and Sione Afu, 45, with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony, alleging they kidnapped the Provo woman after a drug deal she arranged turned out to be a flop.

Pulu is in jail on $10,000 cash-only bail, but Afu now has a $100,000 warrant out for his arrest, according to a warrant and charges filed Thursday in 4th District Court.

"I have attempted to contact Sione Afu by going to his house in Orem several times," Provo police detective Drew Hubbard wrote in a court affidavit. "I have tried calling Sione on his cell many times. (He) is a danger to (the victim) and others in this case. He has demonstrated that he is a flight risk by not contacting me and leaving the state of Utah."

Relatives have told police they believe Afu is now in California. Deputy Utah County attorney Chad Grunander said the warrant is nationwide and they will extradite him back to Utah.

Anyone with information is asked to call Provo police at 801-852-6215.

Story continues below
Police said by Aug. 2, Pulu and Afu had learned the drugs were bad and went to the woman's house, forcing her in the car and driving her around Provo for several hours.

They threatened her with a large knife and a shotgun, demanding that she "get back their money or that they would kill her," according to the affidavit.

Attempts to reach Pulu were unsuccessful, and he has not yet retained an attorney, according to court records. A message left for the Afu family was not immediately returned Friday.

The woman told police both men took turns pointing the gun at her and that Afu told her he was from Inglewood, Calif., as if to validate he was a dangerous person who would really kill her, according to the affidavit.

The woman jumped out of the moving car going nearly 40 mph after seeing a police car traveling in the opposite direction, Hubbard said. Witnesses who saw her escape drove her to catch up with the police, who took her to the hospital with minor injuries, Hubbard said.

During her interview, she described the men and their car and later identified Pulu from a photo lineup, according to an affidavit.

Pulu was arrested Sunday after police found the knife and other items in his car that matched the woman's description.

After a bit of coaxing, and an eventual arrest for investigation of obstruction of justice, another man who knew both the men and the woman provided police with the name of the passenger.

Police say the man initially denied having any information about the two men, but later changed his story and told them Afu's identity.

He told police he was scared to reveal the name because one of the alleged kidnappers had called him to question him about talking with police and he told them he hadn't said anything.


E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com

Recent comments

who wrote this story? Its put together like a 4th grader wrote it....

Anonymous | Aug. 20, 2008 at 8:55 a.m.

From the sounds of this story the man who helped identify the second...

Anonymous | Aug. 11, 2008 at 4:31 p.m.

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