3 arrested in West Valley homicide case
Thursday, investigators apprehended Pailate Lomu, 44, Tuusao Adele Ama, 42, and Ooleanui Salanoa, 25, and booked them each into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated burglary, all first degree felonies. West Valley Police Lt. Dalan Taylor said officers are still seeking Lomu's wife Makafini, 42, and Fonua Kimoana, 29.
West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan said Friday detectives were looking into whether anyone else was involved in the crime.
According to a Salt Lake County Jail report, a witness saw three men and a woman assault the victim.
Jay Wolfinger, 32, was beaten and kidnapped from his West Jordan apartment and found bound and gagged inside a West Valley shed Thursday. There was also evidence he was assaulted again inside the shed, said McLachlan.
The manager of the Broadmoor Village apartment complex, 3375 W. 7800 South, called West Jordan police to report suspicious activity in a unit about 6:45 a.m. Thursday, said Sgt. Greg Butler. When officers arrived, they determined the apartment had been entered forcibly and Wolfinger taken against his will.
By early afternoon, a resident near 4500 South and 3600 West found the victim bound and gagged in his garage and called police, Butler said. It was unknown how long the victim had been in the garage before he was discovered.
Wolfinger was found "bound with a ligature and bleeding from multiple injuries," according to jail documents. Lomu, who was identified by one of the witnesses in a photo lineup, had been renting the garage but was recently evicted, jail documents state.
Lomu was apparently still at the garage when the body was discovered. He "was very agitated" and made the statement "I beat him," referring to the victim, according to court documents. Witnesses were also fearful Lomu would assault them. When they told him that police were on the way, he ran, the jail documents state.
Wolfinger was taken by medical helicopter to Intermountain Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police were waiting for an autopsy Friday to determine a cause of death. They were also not commenting Friday on a possible motive.
Detectives found Lomu a short time later on a UTA bus. His clothing was wet and he had what appeared to be blood on his pants and shirt, according to jail documents.
"There are still a lot of unanswered questions," McLachlan said. "We need to sort through some conflicting information."
A search of court records shows Lomu has faced multiple assault charges before, including two felony counts that were later dismissed. Ama's criminal history in Utah includes convictions for attempted forgery and theft by deception. Salanoa's criminal history in Utah, according to court records, includes convictions for criminal trespass and giving false information to a police officer, and charges that were later dismissed including burglary, assault and aggravated assault.
Contributing: Jens Dana, Deseret News
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com
Recent comments
I am jays brother and I love and miss him very much.but the good…
mark rommel | Nov. 5, 2008 at 10:41 p.m.
Jay was my nephew. My #1 nephew. I will miss him to the fullest.…
Aunt Tina | Nov. 2, 2008 at 1:17 p.m.
God bless Jays family at this time!! i was a ex of jays but i have…
Crystal Brown | Nov. 1, 2008 at 2:03 p.m.
