A Utah girl faces felony prices that she snatched an 11-year-old boy who was using his bike, drove him to her house and made him apologize to her son for supposed bullying, in response to a felony grievance.
Shannon Tufuga, 40, of Provo, was charged Monday with youngster kidnapping and aggravated youngster abuse in reference to the incident, which occurred final 12 months, in response to the Utah County Lawyer’s felony grievance.
Tufuga drove round in quest of the 11-year-old, recognized within the grievance as KB, and located him as he was using his bike on Sept. 17, in response to the grievance.
“The defendant was driving round in search of KB eager to confront him about bullying her youngster,” it says. “When the defendant discovered KB she stopped her car in entrance of KB’s bike and made KB get into her car.”
She then drove him to her house with out his dad and mom’ data or permission, made him apologize to her son and threatened to have her husband “beat up” the boy, the grievance says.
Tufuga informed him he was “fortunate” she didn’t run over his bike when she discovered him using it, in response to the grievance, earlier than she in the end returned him to his house that day.
It’s not clear whether or not Tufuga has a lawyer for the case. An lawyer who represented her in a civil matter in 2023 didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, and the general public defender’s workplace couldn’t be reached.
The incident precipitated the boy to endure “critical emotional misery” and “excessive anxiousness” and has compelled him to “considerably” alter his every day routines, in response to the grievance.
It’s not clear why prosecutors took so lengthy to file prices. The county lawyer’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for extra info.
The fees within the kidnapping case are listed in Utah Felony Code as first-degree felonies, however prosecutors filed them as second-degree felonies after they decided the discount can be “within the pursuits of justice,” in response to the grievance.
Beneath state regulation, somebody prosecuted for a second-degree felony may very well be punished with a sentence of 1 to fifteen years in jail, a $10,000 high quality or each.
Provo is a metropolis of round 115,000 folks about 45 miles south of Salt Lake Metropolis.
