Three inmates who escaped DeKalb County Jail on Dec. 22 — Stevenson Charles, Yusuf Minor and Naod Yohannes — are accused of kidnapping a Lyft driver and forcing her to drive about 650 miles to a Miramar, Florida, rental. The driver says she was held six to ten hours, assaulted when she tried to flee, and that her credit card was used to book the rental. Authorities tracked the vehicle via license plate readers, recovered a handgun after a pursuit, and arrested all three men; Charles and Yohannes appeared in federal court on Dec. 23.
Three DeKalb Jail Escapees Allegedly Kidnap Lyft Driver, Force 650-Mile Drive To Miramar Rental
DeKalb County Sheriff's Office Decatur GA/Facebook (3)From left: Stevenson Charles, Yusuf Minor, and Naod Yohannes
Three men who escaped DeKalb County Jail on Dec. 22 are accused of abducting a rideshare driver and forcing her to drive roughly 650 miles to a short-term rental in Miramar, Florida, authorities said.
Suspects and escape: Deputies discovered Stevenson Charles, 24; Yusuf Minor, 31; and Naod Yohannes, 25, missing during a routine security check the morning of Dec. 22. A federal criminal complaint alleges the trio arranged a rideshare through a woman later identified at a press briefing as Minor’s girlfriend and left the jail in the vehicle.
Driver’s account: The unnamed driver told investigators she felt uneasy when three men — not the woman who requested the ride — entered her car but drove on. According to the complaint, once they reached a destination one man looped a rope around her neck from behind, bound her wrists, forced her into the back seat and repeatedly threatened to kill her if she struggled. The driver said she was held against her will for about six to ten hours.
Google MapsDekalb County Jail in Decatur, Ga.
During that time, the complaint says the suspects accessed the driver’s banking information and used her credit card to pay for a short-term rental in Miramar, roughly 650 miles from the DeKalb County facility. When the driver tried to flee, the complaint alleges she was assaulted and threatened with rape, torture and shooting.
Investigation and arrest: Local and federal authorities tracked the vehicle into Broward and Miami-Dade counties using license plate readers and established surveillance at the Miramar property. Officials reported seeing a person matching Charles’ description driving the vehicle. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver (believed to be Charles) led them on a pursuit, then fled on foot and was later captured. A handgun was recovered along the route of the chase. Yohannes was found as a passenger in the vehicle, and Minor surrendered at the rental property later that night, authorities said.
Charles and Yohannes made 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 said. Minor was scheduled to appear on Dec. 29. It was not immediately clear whether any of the three had entered pleas; attempts to reach their attorneys were not immediately successful.
Smith Collection/Gado/GettyLyft vehicle.
Background charges: At the time of the escape, Charles was awaiting trial on federal charges related to a 2022 murder and an armed robbery and had been transferred to state custody on Dec. 5. Minor faced armed robbery and firearms-related charges, and Yohannes faced allegations including simple assault, arson and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution, the sheriff’s office said.
Official responses: Lyft told PEOPLE it was "deeply concerned," said it had offered support to the driver and was cooperating with law enforcement. DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox declined to provide additional details about the escape at a press conference but said she planned to advocate for improvements at the facility.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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