An Oregon man accused of kidnapping a Seattle sex worker and imprisoning her in a cinder block cell has been arrested after unsuccessfully trying to break out of his jail cell, authorities said Friday.
Negasi Zuberi, 29, was arrested trying to break the glass in his cell window at the Jackson County Jail Tuesday afternoon, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
A county maintenance worker reported hearing suspicious noises coming from Zuberi’s cell around 12:45 a.m. When deputies went to investigate, they found the inmate standing on a bunk bed next to a broken window.
“Deputies arrested Zuberi, sent him through a full-body scanner, and transferred him to a hard cell with no exterior windows,” the sheriff’s office said. “Upon further searching the cell, deputies found an improvised device suspected of being used to break the window.”
The jail’s exterior windows are made of reinforced glass and Zuberi only caused damage to the inner lining, police said.
He was also charged with attempted escape and disorderly conduct.
Zuberi’s lawyer refused to comment on the incident.
The married father of two traveled about 450 miles from his home in Klamath Falls to Seattle on July 15, where he picked up a prostitute and lied about being an undercover police officer, according to the FBI.
Zuberi was caught trying to break out of his jail cell after a maintenance worker reported a suspicious noise.AP
The woman claims Zuberi allegedly held a taser to her and tied her hands and feet in the back seat as they drove back to Oregon.
He kept her in a makeshift cell he had built in his garage. He escaped when he smashed the door until his hands were covered in blood before signaling to passers-by to call the police.
Zuberi was spotted by authorities in Reno, Nevada, on July 16 in a Walmart parking lot — about 250 miles from his home — and surrendered after a 45-minute standoff, according to the FBI.
A search of his home revealed notes that appeared to describe the suspect’s plan to organize and carry out his alleged crimes.
Zuberi and his wife appeared in a 2019 episode of Judge Judy
Zuberi, who authorities say has used the aliases Justin Hyche, Justin Kouassi and Negasi Sakima, has pleaded not guilty to charges of interstate kidnapping and transporting individuals across states with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
He faces up to life in prison, if convicted.
The FBI said it had been looking for additional victims since 2016 after linking them to violent sexual assaults in other states.
Zuberi, who used at least 10 aliases over the years, and his wife appeared on an episode of Judge Judy in 2019. Using the name Justin Hythe, he sued his wife, Alycia Westfall, following a domestic dispute and for damaging her suit with bleach.
By Postal Wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
