Three men incarcerated on murder charges orchestrated a dramatic escape from a Georgia jail before hijacking a Lyft driver and forcing her on a terrifying 10-hour journey to South Florida, according to newly released federal court documents.
The Brazen Escape and Violent Hijacking
Stevenson Charles, 24; Yusuf Minor, 31; and Naod Yohannes, 25, managed to break out of the DeKalb County jail in Decatur, Georgia, on Sunday. The facility is located roughly 15 miles (24km) outside of Atlanta. Their freedom was short-lived, as law enforcement recaptured them in Florida on Tuesday.
The newly revealed affidavit details a chilling plan. Prosecutors state that Minor's girlfriend allegedly assisted the trio by ordering a Lyft rideshare using a fake female name. When the unsuspecting driver arrived, the situation turned violent. The men attacked her, wrapping a rope around her neck and dragging her into the backseat of her own vehicle.
A Terrifying Ordeal to Florida
During the ensuing marathon drive to Florida, the driver later told the FBI she was threatened with rape and murder by the escaped inmates. Upon reaching the Miami suburb of Miramar, the men used the driver's credit cards and bank details to rent a property. They also continued to use her car to move around the area.
Their run ended thanks to modern policing technology. Police tracked the vehicle using automated license plate readers, which scan for wanted cars. This led authorities directly to the rental property where all three men were arrested. The Lyft driver was rescued from the scene and received medical examination for her injuries.
Security Lapses and Ongoing Investigations
The jailbreak itself was discovered during a routine security check on Sunday. Temetris Atkins, Chief Deputy of DeKalb County, explained that the inmates exploited a weakness in an older section of the jail. "We repaired the area that was compromised, and we're looking at other areas that are similar to that to fortify them," Atkins told reporters.
Investigations following the escape revealed that one of the men had used phone calls to coordinate with people outside the jail to help them evade capture. The seriousness of the inmates' original charges underscores the severity of the breach. Both Yusuf Minor and Naod Yohannes are serving life sentences for murder, while Stevenson Charles was being detained on charges of murder and armed robbery.
