Three inmates hijacked Lyft and kidnapped driver for 10 hours after escaping Georgia jail, FBI says
Three inmates who escaped a Georgia jail allegedly hijacked a Lyft and kidnapped the female driver at knifepoint after putting a rope around her neck and threatening to kill her as they fled to Florida, court documents state.
Stevenson Charles, 24, Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25, are back in custody this week after a terrifying 10-hour ordeal for the Lyft driver.
After escaping from Georgia’s DeKalb County Jail at some point December 22, the men were picked up by an unnamed man and taken to one of their girlfriends’ homes, according to police. There, a Lyft ride was arranged to whisk them away to Florida, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.
The driver, who was not named in the complaint, later told investigators that it appeared that the car was ordered by a woman. Prosecutors said Minor’s girlfriend is the one who called the Lyft for the three male passengers.
During the car ride to Miami, the men bound the driver’s hands, wrapped a rope around her neck and repeatedly threatened to kill her, according to the complaint.
She was dragged into the backseat and warned not to struggle or they would rape and kill her, according to the FBI. The driver estimated she was held captive for up to 10 hours, the complaint states.
After trying to escape at one point, the driver endured “increased threats of being shot, raped, and tortured,” the FBI agent wrote in the complaint.
The men then allegedly used the driver’s credit cards to rent a short-term rental property in Miramar, Florida, which is about 25 miles north of Miami.
At some point, Charles and Yohannes left the rental in the driver’s stolen vehicle, while Minor stayed behind, according to the complaint.
The stolen vehicle was detected with the use of license plate readers, which led to the arrests of Charles and Yohannes, federal prosecutors said.
Minor was arrested a short time later at the rental, where authorities found the victim, according to the complaint. It’s not clear if the victim sustained any serious injuries.
In an statement provided to NBC News, a Lyft spokesperson said the company was “concerned by this incident and relieved that the driver is safe.”
“Our hearts are with the driver and we have reached out to offer support,” the spokesperson said. “Lyft is working closely with law enforcement to assist in any way we can as the investigation continues.”
All three men are back in custody and now face additional kidnapping charges.
According to online inmate records, Minor and Yohannes were serving life sentences for murder at the time of the escape. Charles was being held on charges of murder and armed robbery.
DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox told reporters that the men escaped from an Atlanta-area jail that is “deteriorating right before our eyes. The inmates were able to “compromise” a part of the facility, which investigators and jail officials are now repairing.
