An Oregon resident, Negasi Zuberi, 29, has been accused of committing sexual assaults and was found to have meticulously planned his attacks, as revealed in an affidavit. Zuberi, a married man and father, was apprehended in July when a woman managed to escape from a makeshift cell in his Klamath Falls residence. The woman reported to authorities that Zuberi had held her captive and sexually assaulted her.
The woman’s ordeal was described by Stephanie Shark, FBI Portland Assistant Special Agent in Charge, in a statement on Wednesday. The victim was reportedly kidnapped, chained, sexually assaulted, and locked in a cinder block cell. She managed to escape by repeatedly hitting the door with her hands until they bled. Her quick thinking and survival instincts may have prevented other women from experiencing a similar fate.
Investigators discovered notes in Zuberi’s home that seemed to outline his plans for his alleged crimes. One page, titled “Operation Take Over,” had two points: “Leave phone at home,” and “Make sure they don’t have a bunch of people in their life. You don’t want any type of investigation.” Another page contained a drawing with a note that read, “Dig a hole straight down 100 ft,” along with what appear to be the words, “concrete block,” “rubber coat,” “foam insulation” and “waterproof concrete.”
Before his arrest on July 15, Zuberi allegedly traveled from Klamath Falls to Seattle, a seven-and-a-half-hour drive, and solicited services from the victim, a sex worker. Posing as a police officer, Zuberi restrained the woman with handcuffs and leg irons, threatening her with a Taser. He then drove her 450 miles back to his Oregon home, sexually assaulting her during the journey. Once at his home, he allegedly held her captive in a cell in his garage, which had a door installed in reverse so it could not be opened from the inside.
The victim managed to escape after waking up and realizing she might die if she didn’t try to get out. She broke the door open, saw Zuberi’s vehicle in the garage, found a handgun in it, and fled. Once outside, she flagged down a passing driver who called 911.
Zuberi was found by authorities in a Walmart parking lot in Reno, Nevada, on July 16. When approached by law enforcement, he initially refused to leave his vehicle and injured himself with a sharp object. He also tried to destroy his phone. Eventually, he agreed to exit the vehicle and was taken into custody. His child, who was in the vehicle with him, was unharmed.
Zuberi is now facing charges of kidnapping and transportation with intent to engage in sexual activity. The FBI, suspecting that Zuberi may have been involved in additional attacks, is urging any other victims to come forward. Zuberi, who has connections in 10 different states over the past decade, sometimes used aliases such as “Sakima,” “Justin Hyche,” and “Justi Koussai.”