The FBI Portland Field Office is seeking additional information from the public about an Oregon man arrested for allegedly kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and imprisoning a woman in a cinderblock cell.
Negasi Zuberi, 29, is accused of traveling to Seattle from his home in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and soliciting a prostitute on July 15. He then allegedly posed as an undercover police officer and put the victim into the back of his car in handcuffs and leg irons, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint further states Zuberi allegedly transferred the woman back to Oregon and shut her inside a makeshift cell made from cinderblocks, which also had a metal door installed that could not be opened from the inside.
Zuberi reportedly left the room and said he was going to do some paperwork, and the woman “slept and awoke to the realization that she would likely die if she did not attempt to escape,” per the criminal complaint.
Stephanie Shark, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI Portland Field Office, said the woman thought quickly to escape the makeshift cell.
“Police say, she beat the door with her hands until they were bloody in order to break free. Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare,” said Shark.
The woman apparently proceeded to retrieve a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle and track down a motorist who helped her call 911, states the complaint.
After being transported to Sky Lakes Medical Center for a sexual assault examination, the woman assisted police in the arrest of Zuberi by identifying the house from which she had apparently escaped. Her blood was allegedly found on the fence she climbed over to flee the property, according to the criminal complaint.
On July 16, an arrest warrant was obtained to search Zuberi’s home, where investigators purportedly found the makeshift cell described by the victim, as well as a firearm box that they said matched the serial number, make, and model of the firearm taken from his vehicle, per the criminal complaint.
Investigators purportedly also found the victim’s purse in the garage and bank statements that identify Zuberi as the occupant of the house.
Later that day, Zuberi was found at a Walmart in Reno, Nevada, along with his wife and one of his children. He reportedly refused to exit his vehicle and attempted to destroy his phone. He also apparently cut himself and began to bleed heavily, per the criminal complaint.
After some time, Zuberi agreed to exit his vehicle, and he was taken into custody by police. His child was not hurt during the incident.
Zuberi is charged with one count of interstate kidnapping, and the booking report from Washoe County, Nevada, also indicates charges of assault with a deadly weapon, child neglect, false imprisonment using a victim as a shield, false imprisonment, and fugitive from another state.
In the last 10 years, FBI investigators believe that Zuberi has lived in 10 different states, which may include California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada, according to the FBI.
They believe he may have used different methods to subdue other victims.
Shark said they have already found multiple crimes that Zuberi is linked to in other states.
“We are fortunate that this brave woman escaped and alerted authorities. Through quick law enforcement action, we were able to get Zuberi in custody the next day. While 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 Shark in the press release.
Anyone with information is encouraged to visit the FBI website or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
In Dallas, reliable, up-to-date statistics on kidnapping are still currently unavailable, purportedly due to a ransomware attack in May. The City has resumed publishing Daily Crime Briefings, but these reports do not include data on kidnappings.
Still, the daily report does show 6,096 reports of violent crime logged in the city of Dallas so far this year, including 293 instances of non-family sexual assault and 153 homicides.
