Shocking images revealing the appalling conditions in which a woman was imprisoned and shackled after being abducted have emerged.
Negasi Zuberi, 30, has been convicted for a string of heinous crimes including kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. He was found guilty following the kidnap and sexual assault of two women, with one being held captive in a makeshift cell within his garage, even while his family were present in the home.
The tyrannical spree of Zuberi came to an end when one brave woman broke free from his self-made prison and guided law enforcement to her location in Klamath Falls, close to the Oregon-California border. It has been revealed by authorities that Zuberi assumed multiple false identities, such as ‘Sakima’, ‘Justin Hyche’ and ‘Justin Kouassi’, and had resided in 10 states over the previous 10 years, the Mirror US reports.
“Whilst 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,” said Stephanie Shark, the assistant special agent in charge at the FBI Portland Field Office.
On July 15, 2023, Zuberi enticed a woman with the pretence of purchasing sex in Seattle, but once isolated, he impersonated an undercover police officer and feigned arresting her by wielding a Taser-like device and binding her with shackles.
(Image: Washoe County Jail)
Zuberi was accused of kidnapping her and forcefully driving her 450 miles back to his residence, where he is said to have kept her in a rudimentary cell in his garage, sexually assaulting her during the trip. She described her makeshift prison as having a metal door that could only be opened from the outside, reports the Mirror US.
The victim managed to break free from the DIY cell, as per the complaint. “She briefly slept and woke up to the realization that she would likely die if she didn’t try to escape,” it reads. “She repeatedly banged on the door until she was able to break it open and escape the room. Once outside of the cell, she saw Zuberi’s vehicle parked in the garage, opened the vehicle door, found the handgun, took it, and ran away. She flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.”
According to reports, blood was found on a fence at Zuberi’s property which the woman says she climbed over in her desperate escape. Police later located what appeared to be a detention cell and a notebook after obtaining a search warrant, which laid out the suspect’s chilling strategy that he dubbed ‘Operation Take Over’.
(Image: U.S. Attorney’s Office)
The suspect had written: “Leave phone at home. Make sure they don’t have a bunch of people in their life. You don’t want any type of investigation.” The grotesque manual also outlined steps to dispose of a body, advising: “Dig a hole straight down 100ft”.
The criminal complaint reveals that police tracked down Zuberi to a Walmart parking lot in Reno, Nevada, using GPS. What followed was a tense standoff, with Zuberi reportedly inflicting a self-injury leading to severe bleeding before he finally gave in to the authorities.
“Sakima has several different methods to gain control of his victims including drugging their drinks, pretending to be a police officer, and soliciting the services of sex workers and then violently sexually assaulting them,” the FBI disclosed on an internal information page. “Some of the encounters may have been filmed to make it appear as if the assault was consensual. The victims are threatened with retaliation if they notify the police.”
(Image: FBI Portland)
Officials have noted that since August 2016, Zuberi has lived in at least 10 states: California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama and Nevada.
He is accused of sexually assaulting numerous women over roughly an eight-year span from 2016 to 2023 – frequently preying on sex workers and roommates. In another indictment filed in February, agents recounted a chilling kidnapping and sexual assault that took place around six weeks before the Seattle incident.
The indictment against Zuberi paints a terrifying picture, documenting how he preyed upon a woman who found herself stranded outside a Klamath Falls bar. The distressed woman was later horrified to awaken in his car, unsure of how she got there.
Zuberi initially lied that he intended to drive her to a friend’s house but instead took her away to his residence.
(Image: FBI Portland)
According to the chilling account detailed in the complaint, when the victim attempted to escape, Zuberi accelerated his car and took her to a desolate spot where he proceeded to Taser and restrain her. She was held captive in his garage beside cinderblocks he had used to construct a makeshift cell, where he demanded sex from her.
Her desperate assertions fell on deaf ears according to the compliant. “I’m handcuffed in the back of your car. You need to let me go. This isn’t okay. You can’t just take people,” she pleaded. Zuberi is alleged to have repeatedly assaulted her, taken photos of her identification, and chillingly threatened to harm her and her family if she approached the authorities.
Furthermore, the indictment uncovers Zuberi’s disturbing ambition to sire many children across various women to raise an army. Zuberi faces the prospect of life behind bars.
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