When Negasi Zuberi moved along with his spouse and two younger kids right into a quiet avenue in Klamath Falls, Oregon, about six months in the past, neighbours didn’t discover something out of the odd.
To residents of North Eldorado Avenue the 29-year-old was well mannered however not over-friendly, and didn’t appear to comply with a daily schedule, Melanie McClure advised NBC News.
Mr Zuberi as soon as stepped in to save lots of Ms McClure’s Pomeranian-husky after it was attacked by her a lot bigger Doberman pinscher pet, prising the canines aside and performing chest compressions on the injured animal.
“He brought him back for me,” Ms McClure advised the community.
The quiet suburban setting was shattered on 15 July when a lady flagged down a automotive exterior the Zuberis’ dwelling and begged the motive force to name 911.
According to the FBI, Mr Zuberi had kidnapped the lady in Seattle by impersonating an undercover police officer, aimed a Taser at her, positioned her in handcuffs and leg irons earlier than shoving her at the back of his automotive.
He then drove the 450 miles again to Klamath Falls, allegedly stopping to sexually assault her a number of instances alongside the way in which.
Mr Zuberi then locked the lady in a purpose-built cinderblock cell in his storage, in accordance with authorities.
A photograph supplied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Portland Field Office exhibits a makeshift cinderblock investigators present in Zuberi’s dwelling
(FBI)
Police say she beat the door together with her palms till they have been bloody with a view to break away, grabbed a gun from Mr Zuberi’s unlocked automotive and flagged down a automotive to boost the alarm.
Mr Zuberi fled the house along with his household and was arrested the subsequent day after a stand-off with police in Reno, Nevada, in accordance with the FBI.
Authorities mentioned Mr Zuberi has a number of aliases, has lived in 10 states since 2016. Authorities have linked him to violent sexual assaults in 4 states. They imagine he’s more likely to produce other victims and are interesting for data from the general public.
Suspect arrested after kidnapping sufferer escapes from cinderblock “dungeon”
What we all know concerning the kidnapping
Mr Zuberi approached the feminine sufferer, a intercourse employee, at about midnight on 14 July in Seattle, in accordance with a possible trigger assertion.
“Zuberi told the victim she was under arrest,” the Klamath Falls Police Department mentioned in a assertion. “The victim reported Zuberi had a firearm, police patches, a taser, and other law enforcement equipment.”
After allegedly assaulting her on the drive again to Klamath Hills, he compelled her right into a soundproof cell that he had constructed from cinder blocks within the storage of the modest one-storey rental dwelling.
The cell was constructed with a metallic door put in in reverse so it couldn’t be opened from the within.
“After ensuring the victim was secure in the room, Zuberi left,” Klamath Falls police mentioned.
The cinderblock cell constructed within the storage of Zuberi’s modest one-storey rental dwelling was soundproof, police say
(FBI)
The lady fell asleep briefly, earlier than she “awoke to the realisation that she would likely die if she did not attempt to escape,” the FBI says.
She punched the safety display screen door repeatedly for a number of hours till her fists have been bloodied, the FBI says.
She was finally capable of break the welds and pull the metallic display screen materials down and climb by way of a small hole, earlier than flagging down a passing motorist who took her to a neighborhood hospital.
Authorities praised the lady’s bravery, and credited her with saving lives.
Authorities have appealed for extra details about Zuberi
(Associated Press)
“We are fortunate that this brave woman escaped and alerted authorities,” Stephanie Shark, an FBI particular agent answerable for the Portland Field Office, mentioned in an announcement.
“Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare.”
“The victim’s focus, actions and her will to survive triggered a law enforcement response that may have actually saved many other women from a similar nightmare,” Ms Shark mentioned.
How police arrested Zuberi
Klamath Falls Police Department obtained a search warrant for the property and located the cell in his storage because the sufferer had described, the FBI says.
Investigators additionally discovered a diagram of a deliberate 100-foot gap, and a notice studying: “You don’t want any type of investigation.”
Police traced the suspect’s cellphone and discovered he was 250 miles southeast in Reno, Nevada.
Using cellphone know-how, two Nevada State Police troopers situated Mr Zuberi in a Walmart carpark in South Reno on 16 July.
An undated photograph of Zuberi. Authorities say they’ve linked him to 4 different violent sexual assaults
(FBI)
When they approached his automobile, Mr Zuberi was holding his baby within the automotive and his spouse was exterior speaking to him.
Mr Zuberi allegedly threatened to hurt himself, and grabbed a knife and reduce himself, authorities mentioned.
He was arrested after a 45-minute stand-off.
He is in federal custody on prices of interstate kidnapping and transporting a person throughout state traces with intent to interact in prison sexual exercise, and is anticipated to be returned to Oregon within the coming days to be formally arraigned.
Who is Negasi Zuberi?
According to the FBI, Negasi Ishaiah Zuberi used a minimum of three different aliases together with Sakima Zuberi. Justin Hyche and Justin Kouassi. His neighbours knew him as Sakima from Colorado.
The FBI mentioned Mr Zuberi has resided in additional than 10 states since 2016; California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada.
In an announcement, the FBI mentioned it had linked Mr Zuberi to 4 different violent sexual assaults and feared there could also be extra victims.
Klamath Falls police mentioned Mr Zuberi is believed to have a number of totally different strategies to realize management of his victims together with drugging their drinks, pretending to be a police officer, and soliciting the companies of intercourse employees after which violently sexually assaulting them.
Some of the encounters might have been filmed to make it seem as if the assault was consensual, police mentioned. The victims are threatened with retaliation in the event that they notify the police.
Zuberi makes use of a minimum of three aliases, and has resided in 10 states since 2016
(FBI)
The FBI believes he focused intercourse employees or roommates in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada between August 2016 and July 2023.
Public information checklist his final deal with in Vancouver, Clark County, in Washington state.
A reputation linked to certainly one of his aliases, Justin Hyche, exhibits his final identified deal with in Antioch, California. Justin Hyche has 4 prison incidents on file, together with possession firearm public in Illinois, and driving in extra of 100 mph in California.
He additionally has civil court docket judgments listed in opposition to him in court docket states, New York, California, Illinois and Alabama.
Neighbours surprised
The arrest has surprised residents in Klamath Falls, a city of about 25,000 folks simply over the Oregon border from California, together with,,that it seems his spouse.
His former neighbour Ms McClure advised NBC News Mr Zuberi’s spouse had no thought about her husband’s alleged actions and “was doing her best to navigate this”.
The Klamath Falls dwelling the place the lady was held
(Screenshot / Google Maps)
This week, it emerged that Mr Zuberi had rented the house from Klamath Falls mayor, Carol Westfall, and her husband.
In an announcement to FOX 12, Ms Westfall mentioned she was “shocked and dismayed by what has occurred”.
“We applaud the actions of this woman in helping capture this person and preventing him from committing further atrocities. We commend the work of the KFPD, 0SP and the FBI on this case. We encourage anyone with information about this situation to notify the proper authorities.”
Anyone with details about Mr Zuberi is urged to go to fbi.gov/SakimaVictims or name 1-800-CALL-FBI to supply ideas. The FBI Portland Field Office could be reached at (503) 224-4181.