WEST VALLEY UTAH, A caregiver has been charged with three counts of murder after three disabled men were found dead from suspected carbon monoxide exposure inside a van parked in a garage, according to police.
Isaiah Vaughn Pulu, 25, is accused in the deaths of Colton Moser, 25, Mosa’ati Moa, 22, and Timothy Jones, 39. Authorities responded on February 6 to an apartment complex in the 2700 block of South High Parkway in West Valley, near Salt Lake City, after reports of unresponsive individuals. First responders located the three men unconscious inside a van parked in a garage.
An autopsy found no signs of trauma, and investigators believe the men died from carbon monoxide poisoning. According to court documents, a carbon monoxide alarm in the apartment above the garage was activated and reportedly measured levels as high as 600 parts per million. Officials have not specified the concentration inside the garage.
Pulu was employed by Safe & Sound Services LLC, a company that provides services for disabled adults. According to investigators, his role involved transporting clients from group homes to daytime outings. Instead, authorities allege he drove the men to his residence and left them in a running vehicle inside the garage while he went into his apartment.
In statements to police cited in a probable cause affidavit, Pulu allegedly said he went inside to eat and watch television. He told investigators he returned hours later and found the men unresponsive before calling 911.
However, police said Ring camera footage indicated he arrived at his apartment around 9 a.m. and did not check on the men until approximately 1:30 p.m. Detectives allege there was an additional delay before emergency services were contacted.
Investigators also stated that Pulu told 911 dispatchers the garage door had been open, but police determined that was not the case. Court documents further allege that he initially provided inconsistent information to his employer regarding the location of the individuals.
Company leadership told investigators that employees are not permitted to take clients to their personal residences. Records cited in the complaint also indicate that Pulu had previously been disciplined in January for leaving clients unattended.
Family members of the three men have expressed grief and described the loss as devastating. Separate online fundraising campaigns have been created to support the families.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced the charges during a press conference, stating that the allegations demonstrate a disregard for the safety of vulnerable individuals under care.
The case remains ongoing as it proceeds through the court system.
