Niasi Leota Kicked Off Utah Football Team After Alleged Brutal Attack and Threat to Kill His Wife

Utah kicked defensive tackle Niasi Leota off its football team, after an alleged brutal attack on his wife. The 24-year-old faces three felony and four misdemeanor charges related to the incident. Details from the Deseret News are shocking.

"Leota became angry and punched his wife in the head and face, then told her to go into the bathroom to clean up the blood, charges filed in 3rd District Court state. While she was in the bathroom, the 6-foot 4-inch, 278-pound man hit her in the head with a curling iron, then wrapped the iron’s cords around his hands and tried to strangle her, the charging documents state. He then allegedly ripped a towel bar from the wall, hit her in the head with it and tried to stab her in the throat with the broken end. Leota also “attempted to fill the bathtub with water to electrocute the victim with the curling iron,” a Salt Lake County Jail report states."

A police officer reported seeing Leota shout “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fly to Hawaii and kill your family” as his wife tried to flee in a friend’s car. The felony charges Leota faces include “aggravated kidnapping,” “aggravated assault” and “commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child.”

Leota signed for Utah out of Mt. San Antonio Community College in the Class of 2012. He appeared in 10 games last season.

[Photo via USA Today Sports]