SALT LAKE CITY. (ABC 4 News)- A former football player from the University of Utah was arrested on seven counts of violence, February 17th.
Koliniasi Mona Leota was taken into custody after violently attacking his wife.
The 24-year-old, known as Niasi on the football roster, faces several counts including: aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child and threat of violence just to name a few.
In a statement made by his wife, he became angry and began punching her in the head and face. He hit her with a curling iron in the bathroom and then attempted to strangle her with the cord. He also ripped a towel bar from the wall and hit her on the head, then attempted to stab her in the throat with the broken end.
A two-year-old child was in the home during the attack. A friend arrived at the home during the assault, with Ms. Leota’s two older children. The two women ran outside with the kids and locked themselves in a car.
When officers arrived on the scene, they witnessed as Niasi stood in front of the car, screaming that he was going to smash the windows and rip the hood off, to get at someone inside. Niasi then yelled “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fly to Hawaii, and kill your family.”
Niasi was placed under arrest and escorted to a police vehicle. Before getting in the car, he turned to Ms. Leota and yelled “You watch, I’ll kill you.”
