Woman Escapes Kidnapper, Alerts Authorities to Suspected Serial Sexual Assaulter
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A woman who managed to escape her kidnapper by punching her way out of a homemade cinder block cell in southern Oregon has potentially saved other women from a similar fate. Authorities now suspect the kidnapper, Negasi Zuberi, in sexual assaults in at least four more states.
Zuberi, 29, posed as an undercover police officer when he kidnapped the woman in Seattle. He then drove her hundreds of miles to his home in Klamath Falls, where he locked her in a garage cell. The woman was able to break the door and escape by repeatedly punching it until her hands were bloody, according to the FBI.
Stephanie Shark, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Portland field office, commended the woman for her bravery, stating, “Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare.”
After escaping, the woman alerted authorities, leading to Zuberi’s arrest by state police in Reno, Nevada, the following day. Zuberi now faces federal charges, including interstate kidnapping. Authorities are currently searching for additional victims, as they have linked him to other sexual assaults. The states in which these attacks occurred have not been disclosed.
Zuberi, who also goes by the names Sakima, Justin Hyche, and Justin Kouassi, has lived in multiple states since 2016, potentially including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada, according to the FBI.
Court records have not yet listed an attorney for Zuberi, who is still being transferred from Nevada to Oregon. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.
The details of the kidnapping were revealed in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon. Zuberi allegedly solicited the woman for prostitution in Seattle, claiming to be an undercover officer. He then assaulted her and transported her to his home, where he locked her in the cinder block cell.
The victim managed to escape by breaking the door’s welded joints, sustaining lacerations on her knuckles in the process. She then grabbed Zuberi’s gun from his vehicle and fled, leaving blood on a wooden fence she climbed over. A passing driver helped her and called 911.
Zuberi was apprehended by Nevada State Patrol officers in a Walmart parking lot in Reno. During the arrest, he initially refused to exit his vehicle, cut himself with a sharp object, and attempted to destroy his phone. However, he eventually surrendered, and his child, who was in the front seat, was unharmed.
Authorities are investigating whether Zuberi’s wife and neighbors had any knowledge of the abduction. A search of his home and garage uncovered the victim’s purse and handwritten notes, including one labeled “Operation Take Over” with instructions to avoid investigations.
The FBI suspects that Zuberi may have used other methods, such as drugging women’s drinks, to gain control over his victims. They have set up a website for potential victims to come forward.
The rental home in Klamath Falls, where the kidnapping took place, is owned by the city’s mayor, Carol Westfall, and her husband, Kevin. The couple had Zuberi evicted following his arrest.
The Westfalls expressed shock and dismay over the incident and commended the woman for her actions in preventing further atrocities.
This article was written by Claire Rush, a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, with contributions from Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho.
What are the potential consequences for the suspect if convicted
A courageous woman in Oregon managed to escape her kidnapper and potentially saved others from a similar fate. The suspect, Negasi Zuberi, is now being investigated for sexual assaults in at least four other states.
Zuberi, posing as an undercover police officer, kidnapped the woman in Seattle and transported her to his home in Klamath Falls. He locked her in a garage cell, but the woman was able to break free by repeatedly punching the door until her hands were bloody. The FBI praised her bravery and quick thinking.
The woman immediately alerted authorities, leading to Zuberi’s arrest by state police in Reno, Nevada the next day. He now faces federal charges, including interstate kidnapping. Investigators are now searching for potential additional victims as they have connected Zuberi to other sexual assaults. The specific states where these attacks occurred have not been disclosed.
Zuberi, who goes by multiple names, has lived in various states since 2016, including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada. He is currently in the process of being transferred from Nevada to Oregon, and no attorney has been listed on court records yet. If convicted, he could face a life sentence in prison.
The exact details of the kidnapping have not been revealed at this time.
