Viliami Sio Pauni booking photo from the Cache County Jail.
LOGAN — A 33-year-old Logan man has confessed to choking a man, taking his wallet and vehicle, and then trying to break into a relative’s home in September. Viliami Sio Pauni has been in the Cache County Jail since being arrested following the assault.
Pauni participated in a hearing Monday, Nov. 13, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated assault and theft, both second-degree felonies; criminal mischief, a third-degree felony; and assault, a class B misdemeanor.
According to prosecutors, Logan City Police officers were called to a Logan home Sept. 23. An elderly man explained how Pauni had approached him in his driveway and asked for directions.
The victim offered to give Pauni a ride to where he was needing to go. However, as they turned their back, Pauni reportedly wrapped his arm around their neck and began choking them.
The victim told police, he feared for his life and told Pauni to take his wallet. It contained $200, financial transaction cards and the man’s drivers license. He also told the defendant that the keys were in the vehicle, parked inside the garage.
Police report, Pauni took the vehicle and drove to a nearby gas station where he stole a six pack of alcohol. Two unopened bottles were in the vehicle when the defendant was apprehended.
Pauni then drove to family member’s home, where he broke two windows and kicked in a locked front door, causing around $2,500 in damages. An empty bottle of the same beverage was found outside the residence.
After Pauni was arrested, police learned of another incident when he had assaulted a relative. The family member explained how the defendant had asked them for gas money. When they refused, Pauni threw them up against a wall.
During Monday’s hearing, defense attorney Wayne Caldwell explained that in exchange for Pauni’s guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges and allow the defendant to be released to an in-patient treatment center until sentencing.
Pauni spoke only briefly, telling the court he wished to waive his rights and plead guilty. He was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 8, when he could face up to 25 years in prison.