FBI looks for more possible victims after woman escapes from makeshift cinder block cell in Klamath Falls
(Update: Suspect indicted; US Attorney's Office info)
By GENE JOHNSON and CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man who posed as an undercover police officer kidnapped a woman in Seattle, drove her hundreds of miles to his home in Klamath Falls and locked her in a cinder block cell until she bloodied her hands breaking the door to escape, the FBI said Wednesday.
Negasi Zuberi, 29, faces a federal interstate kidnapping charge, and authorities said they are looking for additional victims after linking him to violent sexual assaults in at least four more states.
“This woman was kidnapped, chained, sexually assaulted, and locked in a cinderblock cell,” Stephanie Shark, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Portland field office, said in a news release. “Police say she beat the door with her hands until they were bloody in order to break free. Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare.”
After the woman escaped from his home in Klamath Falls, Zuberi fled the southern Oregon city of roughly 22,000 people but was arrested by state police in Reno, Nevada, the next afternoon, the FBI said. Court records don't list an attorney who might speak on his behalf.
According to the FBI, Zuberi also went by the names Sakima, Justin Hyche and Justin Kouassi, and he has lived in multiple states since 2016, possibly including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon, Zuberi solicited the woman, identified only as Adult Victim 1, in the early-morning hours of July 15 to engage in prostitution along Aurora Avenue in Seattle, an area known for sex work. Afterward, Zuberi told the woman he was an undercover officer, showed her a badge, pointed a stun gun at her, and placed her in handcuffs and leg irons before putting her in the back of his vehicle, the complaint says.
He then drove the woman to his home in Oregon, stopping along the way to sexually assault her, the complaint states. When they arrived, about seven hours after he first encountered her in Seattle, he put her in a makeshift cell he had built in his garage — a cinder block cell with a door of metal bars — and said he was leaving to do paperwork.
The woman “briefly slept and awoke to the realization that she would likely die if she did not attempt to escape,” the complaint says.
She started punching the metal door and broke some of its welded joints, creating a small opening which she climbed through, Klamath Police Capt. Rob Reynolds said at a news conference.
“When she was trying to escape the cell itself, she repeatedly punched the door with her own hands,” Reynolds said. “She had several lacerations along her knuckles.”
The victim saw Zuberi's vehicle parked in the garage, opened it, grabbed his gun and then took off, leaving blood on a wooden fence she climbed over to escape, the complaint says. She flagged down a passing driver, who called 911.
Two Nevada State Patrol officers tracked Zuberi down at a Walmart parking lot in Reno the next day, July 16, the complaint says. He was in his car holding one of his children in the front seat while talking to his wife, who was standing outside the vehicle. He initially refused to get out of the car when the officers asked and instead cut himself with a sharp object and tried to destroy his phone, according to the complaint, which notes that Zuberi eventually surrendered and that the child wasn't harmed.
According to the complaint, investigators interviewed Zuberi's wife and neighbors. Authorities declined to say if there was any indication that any of them had been aware of the Seattle woman's abduction.
Investigators said that when they searched Zuberi's home and garage, they found the makeshift cell, the woman’s purse and handwritten notes. One of the notes was titled “Operation Take Over,” and included a bullet list with entries that read “Leave phone at home” and “Make sure they don’t have a bunch of ppl (sic) in their life. You don’t want any type of investigation.”
Another handwritten document appeared to include a rough sketch for an underground structure using concrete blocks, foam insulation and waterproof concrete.
The FBI said Zuberi may have used other methods of gaining control of women, including drugging their drinks. The agency said it was setting up a website asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim to come forward.
The Klamath Falls rental home where Zuberi allegedly took the woman is owned by the city's mayor, Carol Westfall, and her husband, Kevin, according to property records. The house backs onto a park and is on a residential street, less than a quarter-mile (half a kilometer) from a highway.
Court records show that after Zuberi’s arrest, the couple had him evicted.
“We are shocked and dismayed by what has occurred,” the Westfalls said in an email. “We applaud the actions of the woman who helped capture this person and prevent him from committing further atrocities.”
The Westfalls also praised local, state and federal law enforcement for their work on the case. They declined to respond to queries about their interactions with Zuberi.
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Johnson reported from Seattle. Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed.
FBI news release:
FBI Portland Seeking Additional Victims After Woman Escaped Makeshift Cinderblock Cell in Klamath Falls, OR
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Portland Field Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying potential victims of a violent sex assault offender who has lived in at least 10 states.
29-year-old, Negasi Zuberi (aka Sakima, Justin Hyche and Justin Kouassi), is in federal custody for interstate kidnapping after a Washington woman escaped his home in Klamath Falls, OR, claiming she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and locked in a cinderblock cell.
According to court records, on Saturday, July 15, 2023, Zuberi traveled from his home in Klamath Falls, OR, to Seattle, WA, where he solicited the services of a prostitute, he then posed as an undercover police officer. The victim told investigators that he pointed a taser at her and placed her in handcuffs, leg irons and put her in the back seat of his car. He then traveled roughly 450 miles with the woman, sexually assaulting her during the trip.
According to the victim, once he arrived at his home in Klamath Falls, OR, Zuberi moved her into a makeshift cell that he had constructed in his garage. The cell was made of cinder blocks and a metal door installed in reverse so it could not be opened from the inside. Once Zuberi left, the victim says she repeatedly banged on the door and was able to break the door open and escape the room. She was able to flag down a passing motorist who called 9-1-1.
Klamath Falls Police Department obtained a search warrant for Zuberi’s residence and found the makeshift cell described by the victim. Zuberi fled and was located in Reno, NV where he was taken into custody after a brief standoff with local police.
“According to the complaint, this woman was kidnapped, chained, sexually assaulted, and locked in a cinderblock cell. Police say, she beat the door with her hands until they were bloody in order to break free. Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare,” says Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Stephanie Shark with the FBI Portland Field Office.
“We are fortunate that this brave woman escaped and alerted authorities. Through quick law enforcement action we were able to get Zuberi in custody the next day. While she may have helped protect future victims, sadly we have now linked Zuberi to additional violent sexual assaults in at least four states and there could be more.”
Zuberi has lived in ten states over the last ten years and FBI investigators have reason to believe there could be additional sexual assault victims.
The FBI's investigation has extended to multiple states where Zuberi previously resided between August of 2016 and today. Those states could include: California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada.
Victims may know Zuberi by the name “Sakima” and it is believed he may have used several different methods to gain control of his victims; including by drugging their drinks and impersonating a police officer.
The victims are often threatened with retaliation if they notify the police.
If you believe you have been a victim or have any information concerning Zuberi (aka Sakima) visit the website: fbi.gov/SakimaVictims or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also contact the FBI Portland Field Office at (503) 224-4181, your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI would like to acknowledge our partners assisting in this investigation including the United States Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon, Klamath Falls Police Department, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Police, Reno Police Department, Nevada State Police and the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, Reno Resident Agency.
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News release from U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon
Klamath Falls Man Indicted for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Seattle Woman, Additional Victims Sought
U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon - 08/02/23 3:05 PM
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment today charging a Klamath Falls, Oregon, man with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Seattle woman and forcing her into a makeshift cell he constructed in his garage.
Negasi Zuberi, 29, also known as Sakima, Justin Hyche, and Justin Kouassi, has been charged with interstate kidnapping and transporting an individual across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, Zuberi was in Seattle when he is alleged to have posed as a police officer, pointed a taser at an adult woman, placed her in handcuffs, and forced her into the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the woman approximately 450 miles back to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her and cover her face with a sweatshirt.
When Zuberi arrived at his residence, he moved the woman from his vehicle into a makeshift cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. She retrieved a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.
The next day, on July 16, 2023, two Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a retail parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.
On July 26, 2023, Zuberi made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the District of Nevada. He was ordered detained pending his transfer to the District of Oregon.
Interstate kidnapping is punishable by up to life in federal prison and transporting an individual across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Portland Field Office, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney’s Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney’s Office; and Nevada State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell is prosecuting the case for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Zuberi has lived in ten different states over the last ten years including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada, and federal law enforcement has reason to believe he may have victimized additional women.
If you or someone you know have information about possible crimes committed by Zuberi, please visit fbi.gov/sakimavictims or call 1-800-Call-FBI.
