A man accused of holding a woman captive in a makeshift cell at his Oregon rental home is facing new charges in connection with the kidnapping and rape of another woman two months earlier.
Negasi Zuberi allegedly kidnapped a victim, referred to in court documents as an unidentified Jane Doe, and planned to rape her on or about May 6.
A grand jury indictment in southern Oregon’s Klamath County alleges he knowingly injured the victim by using or threatening to use weapons, including a Tazer and a handgun, Local 10 reports.
In documents filed last week in Klamath County District Court, he was charged with 11 counts, including first-degree rape, sexual abuse and kidnapping.
Previously, Zuberi was arrested after a woman escaped from a cinder block cell where he was holding her because he had previously “threatened to kill the mother of his two children” over his rent in Oregon.
A man accused of holding a woman captive in a makeshift cell at his Oregon rental home is facing new charges in connection with the kidnapping and rape of another woman two months earlier
Zuberi, 29, fled to Reno, Nevada, where he was arrested by state police a day after the woman, who was not identified, escaped from the horror prison on July 15.
The new claims against Zuberi come following his arrest and were made in a protective order three years ago by another woman with whom he allegedly has children.
In July 2020, the woman, who also remained anonymous, filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order against one of the pseudonyms, “Justin Kouassi.”
“He physically attacks me, he hits me, he brakes (sic) and throws things, he yells at the children and me…we are woken up and frightened by his drunkenness and loudness every night,” the court document states to Contra Costa County, California and was read by NBC.
It remains unclear whether the order was issued or the proceedings were discontinued. However, the document states that the September 2020 appearance was removed from the court calendar.
The alleged 2020 victim also claimed Zuberi took her phone to stop her from calling the police and took her money as a form of financial abuse.
It was alleged she slapped, held and hit the woman, who was left bruised by his alleged attacks.
“He came at night without my permission, broke my windows, tried to hit me and threatened (sic) to kill me and my children,” she wrote.
“He decided to take her away so I could be miserable without her.”
The document also claims that the two children she allegedly had with Zuberi were “afraid of him.”
“My children hide from him because he is always loud, angry and unpredictable,” she wrote.
“Wakes her up all night and makes her cry constantly.”
A neighbor who spoke to the outlet following his arrest said she “rarely saw his wife and children,” both of whom were under 10 years old.
Melanie McClure said the family moved into the home earlier this year and she tried to invite Zuberi’s wife to a “mother’s night out” with other friends in April or May.
A woman who has not been identified miraculously escaped a cinder block cell after she was kidnapped in Seattle and driven more than seven hours away by a man posing as an undercover cop
A woman who has not been identified miraculously escaped a cinder block cell after she was kidnapped in Seattle and driven more than seven hours away by a man posing as an undercover cop
McClure said she remembered Zuberi’s wife asking him if she could “at least” bring her cell phone.
“He told me, ‘She can go, that’s OK,'” McClure recalled. “But then that door will be locked and she’ll have to figure out where she’s going to stay tonight.”
After resisting, McClure said Zuberi agreed to let his wife use her phone and said he would leave the door unlocked.
McClure said Zuberi exhibited disturbing and possessive behavior. McClure recalled showing up at the restaurant and watching his wife without saying a word for about 30 minutes.
“He controlled her and her life,” McClure said, adding that she pushed Zuberi’s wife to seek help.
McClure told NBC she assumed officers would likely be called to the home rented by Klamath Falls Mayor Carol Westfall because of an incident with his wife, but was shocked to hear what happened.
“To think you could get away with something so crazy is confusing,” she said.
Zuberi kidnapped a woman in Seattle under the guise of being an undercover agent.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman was kidnapped just after midnight on July 15, sexually assaulted and forced away for more than seven hours.
Hidden in the makeshift cell, the woman slept and woke up with the realization that she would probably die if she didn’t try to escape. She broke down the door, leaving bloody hands behind.
The FBI released eerie photos of the tiny quarters where he held them captive.
“She slammed her hands against the door until they were bloody trying to free herself,” Klamath Police Capt. Rob Reynolds said at a news conference Wednesday.
“Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare.”
Investigators said that when they searched Zuberi’s home and garage, they found the makeshift cell, the woman’s purse and handwritten notes
Another handwritten document appeared to contain a rough sketch for an underground structure made of concrete blocks, foam insulation and waterproof concrete
On July 15, Zuberi allegedly traveled from his rental apartment in Klamath Falls to Seattle, where he offered the woman for prostitution along Aurora Ave – a known area for prostitution, according to court documents.
The woman told police that Zuberi told her he was an undercover police officer before showing her a badge.
He pointed a stun gun at her and placed her in the back seat of his car after handcuffing her and applying leg irons.
Zuberi drove more than seven hours to his home in Klamatha Falls but stopped when he stopped his vehicle and caused violence [the victim] performing both oral and vaginal sex.’
The affidavit states: “Zuberi attempted to have anal sex with him.” [victim] but stopped after that [the victim] begged him not to do it.’
When they arrived, Zuberi brought his captor into the cell – he said he was leaving to do paperwork.
The woman “slept briefly and awoke with the realization that she would likely die if she did not attempt to escape,” the arrest affidavit states.
She started banging on the metal door, breaking some of its welds, creating a small opening that she climbed through.
The victim saw Zuberi’s vehicle parked in the garage, opened it, grabbed his gun and drove off.
According to the complaint, investigators interviewed Zuberi’s wife and neighbors.
They would not say whether there was any indication that any of them knew about the Seattle woman’s abduction.
When Zuberi was arrested by Nevada State Patrol agents in a Walmart parking lot the day after his escape, he was with his wife and at least one of his children. It remains unclear how many children he has.
When officers approached him, he refused to get out of his car, began cutting himself with a sharp object and attempted to destroy his phone.
She left blood on a wooden fence she had climbed to escape before flagging down a passing motorist who called 911.
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 contained a bulleted list with items such as “Leave the phone at home” and “Make sure you don’t have a lot of people in your life. They don’t want any kind of investigation.”
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
Another handwritten document appeared to contain a rough sketch for an underground structure made of concrete blocks, foam insulation and waterproof concrete.
The FBI is now investigating whether Zuberi may have had other victims.
They are also investigating whether he may have used other methods to gain control over women, including drugging their drinks. The agency said it is in the process of setting up a website encouraging anyone who believes they may have been a victim to come forward.
According to the FBI, as of 2016, Zuberi lived in several states, possibly California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama and Nevada.
He has also been linked to at least four violent sexual assaults in four other states. He went by various names including Justin Joshua Hyche, Sakima Zuberi and Justin Kouassi.
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 home borders a park and is on a residential street, less than a quarter mile from a highway.
Court records show the couple arranged for his eviction following Zuberi’s arrest.
“We are shocked and dismayed by what happened,” the Westfalls said in an email to .
“We applaud the actions of the woman who helped catch this person and prevent her 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.
Last month it was revealed that Zuberi appeared on Judge Judy under an alias where his ex was ordered to pay $2,500 for hurling a glass bottle at him.
When appearing on the show, Zuberi used the pseudonym Justin Hythe, one of many the FBI listed during a news conference Wednesday.
The episode was about his move from California to New York, two of the places where the FBI says Zuberi, 29, has lived in the past decade.
In the episode “Judge Judy,” Zuberi sued his children’s mother, Alycia Westfall, for throwing a glass bottle at him and damaging his suits with bleach.
At the time the episode first aired in September 2018, the two lived separately and shared custody of their sons.
Westfall countersued Zuberi for smashing her cell phone and issuing a “false restraining order.”
The episode ended with Judge Judy Westfall ordering Zuberi to pay $2,500 in restitution.