Man Convicted Of Raping And Kidnapping A Woman After She Punched Her Way Out Of A Cinder Block Cell

A jury found Negasi Zuberi guilty of kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

Last year, a man was arrested after a woman he was allegedly holding captive escaped his home. That man was found guilty of the multiple charges levied against him for committing the act.

According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon, a jury found Negasi Zuberi guilty of kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The 30-year-old, also known as Justin Joshua Hyche, was given the verdict after being accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women and holding one of the victims in a cell he built in his garage.

According to court documents, the Klamath Falls, Oregon, resident was in Seattle on July 15, 2023, and while posing as a police officer, used a taser and handcuffs to detain a woman in the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then took her to his home in Klamath Falls, about 450 miles from where he abducted her. On the way to his house, he stopped along the way to sexually assault her.

Once they arrived at his house, he took her to a makeshift cell in his garage. The victim escaped after repeatedly banging on the cell door until she was able to break it. She got a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle and was able to get the attention of a passing motorist, who called 911.

The next day, Zuberi was arrested by Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers when he was spotted in a parking lot in Reno. He surrendered and was taken into custody after a brief standoff.

While looking into Zuberi’s crimes, investigators discovered that he had previously kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim in Seattle on May 6, 2023. His first victim stated that she saw stacked cinder blocks in his garage, which investigators state was used to build the cell where the second victim was placed.

A federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment on Aug. 2, 2023, charging Zuberi with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Earlier this year, on Feb. 15, 2024, a second kidnapping charge and charges for illegally possessing firearms, ammunition, and attempted escape were added by a superseding indictment.

Zuberi is facing a sentence of up to life in federal prison for the kidnapping conviction and up to 10 years for transporting a victim across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and attempted escape are punishable by up to 15 years.

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