A chilling jailbreak spiraled into a cross-state kidnapping nightmare after three inmates who escaped from a Georgia jail allegedly abducted a rideshare driver, threatened to kill her, and forced her to drive hundreds of miles to Florida, authorities said.
Stevenson Charles, 24, Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25, vanished from the DeKalb County Jail after a routine security check early Monday morning, Dec. 22 revealed they were missing, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
A federal criminal complaint reviewed by PEOPLE alleges the trio pulled off their escape using a rideshare that had been requested by a woman later identified by authorities as Minor’s girlfriend. Officials said the service used was Lyft.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Lyft said the company was “deeply concerned” by the incident and relieved the driver survived. Lyft said it had spoken directly with the driver to offer support and is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation continues.
According to the complaint, the driver — whose name was not released — said she immediately felt uneasy when three men appeared for a ride that had been requested by a woman. Despite her concerns, she proceeded with the trip.
After arriving at their destination, the situation allegedly turned violent. One of the men is accused of wrapping a rope around the driver’s neck from behind. Her hands were bound at the wrists, and she was forced into the back seat. The men allegedly ordered her to keep her head down and her eyes closed and repeatedly warned that she would be killed if she resisted.
The driver told investigators she feared for her life and was held captive for approximately six to 10 hours. During that time, the suspects allegedly gained access to her personal banking information and debit and credit cards.
Authorities say the men then forced the driver to travel to south Florida. According to the complaint, one of her credit cards was later used to pay for a short-term rental in Miramar — roughly 650 miles from the Georgia jail.
At one point, the driver attempted to escape, but one of the suspects allegedly assaulted her and threatened to shoot, rape, and torture her if she tried again, the complaint states.
Local and federal authorities were eventually able to track the victim’s vehicle using license plate readers, which detected it in Broward County and Miami-Dade County. While conducting surveillance, investigators say they spotted the vehicle being driven by someone matching Charles’ description.
When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver — believed to be Charles — allegedly led police on a pursuit before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. He was later captured. Authorities said a handgun was recovered along the pursuit route.
The other two suspects were also arrested late Monday night. Yohannes was taken into custody as a passenger in the vehicle, while Minor surrendered at the rental property, according to the complaint.
Charles and Yohannes made their initial federal court appearances in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 23 on kidnapping charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida confirmed in a press release. Minor was scheduled to make his initial appearance on Dec. 29.
It remains unclear whether any of the suspects have entered pleas. PEOPLE reached out to their attorneys for comment but did not receive immediate responses.
Authorities also released details about why the men were behind bars at the time of the escape. Charles was awaiting trial on federal charges tied to a 2022 murder and armed robbery and had been transferred to state custody on Dec. 5. Minor was being held on charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Yohannes was facing charges including simple assault, arson, and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution.
During a press conference, officials declined to explain exactly how the escape occurred. DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox said she plans to push for improvements at the jail following the alarming breach.
Typical black garbage that occupies kur prisons. It pathetic how they always claim that they are in prison because blacks are discriminated against and are disproportionately accused of crimes that they dont commit. Well its very obvious that they are in fact criminals and are not being unjustly accused. This trash is in fact exactly what everyone says they are, criminal garbage.
What kind of security exists at this prison .Investigate thoroughly as there might be some fishy things going on among the guards and prisoners
How can these prisoners keep escaping from the jails in our country?