A woman miraculously escaped from a cinder block cell where she was held captive in a rental house owned by a mayor of a small town in Oregon after being kidnapped by a man posing as an undercover Seattle cop.
After the woman broke down the door with her bloody hands to escape, the suspect, Negasi Zuberi, 29, fled the rental home in Klamath Falls to Reno, Nevada, where he was arrested by state police a day later on July 16.
The FBI has released photos of the makeshift cinderblock cell at the Klamath Falls home where the victim was held captive.
“She slammed her hands on the door until they were bloody to get loose,” Klamath Police Chief Rob Reynolds said at a news conference Wednesday.
“Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare.”
A woman, who has not been identified, miraculously escaped from a cinder block cell after being kidnapped in Seattle by a man posing as an undercover cop and driving for more than seven hours
After being placed in this cell, the victim “slept briefly and awoke with the realization that if she did not try to escape, she would probably die.” She started banging on the metal door and broke some of the welded joints, leaving a small gap through which she climbed
Negasi Zuberi, 29, fled the rental home in Klamath Falls to Reno, Nevada, where he was arrested by state police a day later on July 16. Authorities are now investigating whether he may have assaulted other women in at least 10 other states
On July 15, Zuberi reportedly traveled from the Klamath Falls home to Seattle, where he solicited the woman for prostitution along Aurora Ave — a known area for prostitution, according to court documents.
The woman told police Zuberi told her he was an undercover cop before showing her a badge, pointing a stun gun at her and placing it in the back seat of his car while she was handcuffed and she was placed in leg irons.
He then drove about seven hours to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping only to sexually assault her along the way.
When they arrived, Zuberi put her in a makeshift cell he built in his garage—a cinder block cell with a metal bar door—and said he was leaving to do paperwork.
The woman “slept briefly and woke up realizing that if she didn’t try to escape, she would probably die,” court documents said.
She started banging on the metal door, breaking some of the welded joints, leaving a small opening through which she climbed.
The victim saw Zuberi’s vehicle parked in the garage, opened it, grabbed his gun and then left, leaving blood on a wooden fence that she climbed over to escape, the indictment said. She stopped a passing driver, who called 911.
According to the report, detectives questioned Zuberi’s wife and neighbors. They would not say if there was any indication that any of them knew about the kidnapping of the Seattle woman.
However, when Zuberi was arrested by Nevada State Patrol officers in a Walmart parking lot the day after he fled, he was with his wife and at least one of his children. It is unclear how many children he has.
When approached by the officers, he refused to leave his car, started cutting himself with a sharp object and tried to destroy his phone.
The suspect, 29-year-old Negasi Zuberi, who has been linked to violent attacks in at least four other states and was posing as an undercover officer, has been arrested by police in Reno, Nevada
Klamath Falls Police Department Captain Rob Reynolds speaks at a news conference at the FBI’s Portland, Oregon, field office on Wednesday, Aug. 2.
Stephanie Shark, Assistant Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Portland field office, speaks at a press conference in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday
Investigators said when they searched Zuberi’s home and garage, they found the makeshift cell, the woman’s wallet and handwritten notes.
One of the notes was titled “Operation Take Over” and contained a bulleted list with statements such as “Leave the phone at home” and “Make sure they don’t have many people in their lives.” You don’t want any investigation.’
Another handwritten document appeared to contain a rough sketch for an underground structure using concrete blocks, foam insulation and waterproof concrete.
The FBI is now investigating whether Zuberi may have had other victims.
They also investigate whether he may have used other methods to gain control over women, including drugging their potions. The agency said it was setting up a website asking anyone who believes they may have been victimized to come forward.
According to the FBI, Zuberi also went by the names Sakima, Justin Hyche and Justin Kouassi, and as of 2016 lived in multiple states, possibly including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama. , and Nevada.
An FBI flag and an information-seeking poster board with photos of suspect Negazi Zuberi are set up next to a podium ahead of a press conference at the FBI field office in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday
The rental home in Klamath Falls that Zuberi allegedly took the woman to is owned by the city’s mayor, Carol Westfall, and her husband, Kevin, according to property records. The house borders a park and is on a residential street, less than a quarter mile from a highway.
Court records show that the couple had him evicted from his home after Zuberi’s arrest.
“We are shocked and appalled by what has happened,” the Westfalls said in an email to the Associated Press.
“We applaud the actions of the woman who helped capture this individual 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 questions about their interactions with Zuberi.