Provo police are searching for two men who allegedly assaulted, kidnapped and tried to drug another man.
Detective Nick Dupaix said police received a report about the attack at 8 a.m. Saturday. Employees of the Provo Super 8 motel said two men were chasing a third man around motel buildings and through the parking lot.
When police contacted the victim, he said he was meeting Joseph Tukuafu and William Pauni to go to work with them, Dupaix said. Dupaix didn’t know the specific relationship of the three men, whether they were going to a steady job together or whether the work was short term.
(Photo courtesy of Provo Police Department) William Pauni, left, and Joseph Tukuafu
The victim told police that he got into a car with the men, was struck in the head and lost consciousness. He said he awoke in a room at the motel when Tukuafu and Pauni were trying to drug him.
The victim said he fought them off and escaped the room. Tukuafu and Pauni chased him, the victim said, and eventually fled in a blue minivan.
Tukuafu and Pauni remain on the loose.
“It looks like he may have been targeted for something specific, but based on the situation I would say they could be dangerous,” Dupaix said of Tukuafu and Pauni.
Dupaix said local police have had run-ins with Tukuafu and Pauni but have yet to locate them. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Provo dispatch at 801-852-6215.
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