FBI Searching for Additional Potential Victims Following Woman’s Escape from Confinement in Oregon

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A man claiming to be an undercover police officer kidnapped a woman from Seattle and transported her across hundreds of miles to his residence in Oregon, where he locked her up in a concrete cell. She eventually managed to escape by battering down the door until her hands were bruised and bloody, the FBI announced on Wednesday.

Negasi Zuberi, 29, is now facing charges of interstate kidnapping at a federal level. After establishing a link between Zuberi and several violent sexual assaults in four additional states, the authorities have launched a search for more victims.

In a press release, Stephanie Shark, the Deputy Special Agent overseeing the FBI’s Portland division, stated, “This woman was abducted, shackled, sexually violated, and imprisoned in a concrete cell. To escape, she battered the door with her bare hands until they bled. Her fast-thinking survival instincts may have prevented other women from experiencing similar horrors.”

After the woman managed to escape from his residence in Klamath Falls, Zuberi fled the small southern Oregon city of approximately 22,000 residents but was apprehended by state police in Reno, Nevada, the following afternoon, according to the FBI. There are no court records indicating an attorney representing Zuberi.

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The FBI reported that Zuberi has used several aliases, including Sakima, Justin Hyche, and Justin Kouassi, and has resided in numerous states since 2016, potentially including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, Zuberi lured the woman, referred to only as “Adult Victim 1”, into engaging in prostitution in Seattle’s Aurora Avenue, a known area for sex work, in the early hours of July 15. Zuberi then showed her a badge, identifying himself as an undercover officer, threatened her with a stun gun, and handcuffed her before putting her in the back of his vehicle.

Zuberi transported the woman to his residence in Oregon, sexually assaulting her en route. Upon arrival, roughly seven hours after their initial meeting in Seattle, he imprisoned her in a makeshift cell built in his garage made of concrete blocks and a metal bar door, stating that he was leaving to complete paperwork.

According to the complaint, the woman woke up after a brief sleep, realizing that she needed to escape or she would likely die. She began pounding on the metal door and was able to break some of the welded joints to create an opening through which she escaped, Klamath Police Captain Rob Reynolds reported in a press conference.

Upon escaping the cell, she discovered Zuberi’s vehicle in the garage, took his gun, and fled, leaving blood on a wooden fence she climbed over to escape. She managed to stop a passing driver, who contacted 911.

The next day, Nevada State Patrol officers found Zuberi in a Walmart parking lot in Reno. He was holding one of his children in his car, talking to his wife standing outside the vehicle. He initially refused to comply with the officers, cutting himself with a sharp object and attempting to destroy his phone, but he eventually surrendered. The child was unharmed.

The FBI suggests that Zuberi may have also used drugs to control women and has set up a website urging anyone who believes they may have been victimized to come forward.

The rental house in Klamath Falls, where Zuberi allegedly took the woman, is owned by Mayor Carol Westfall and her husband, Kevin, as per property records. The house is located on a residential street, adjacent to a park and less than a quarter-mile from a highway.

Following Zuberi’s arrest, court records show the Westfalls had him evicted.

“We are both shocked and appalled by these events,” the Westfalls expressed in an email. “We commend the woman whose brave actions led to the capture of this individual, preventing him from causing further harm.”

The Westfalls expressed their appreciation for the efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in handling this case but declined to comment on their interactions with Zuberi.

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Reporting from Seattle was provided by Johnson. Additional contributions came from Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Kidnapping in Oregon

More about Kidnapping in Oregon

• FBI Official Website
• US District Court for the District of Oregon
• Nevada State Patrol
• City of Klamath Falls
• US Department of Justice – Kidnapping Charges