A man convicted of kidnapping two women, locking one of the women in a cinderblock cell, will be sentenced later this month, and prosecutors want a life sentence.
“Negasi Zuberi should never be able to kidnap, beat or sexually assault another woman. He should be sentenced to life in prison,” prosecutors stated in a court document filed Wednesday.
Last October, a federal jury found the 30-year-old guilty of kidnapping a lady in Seattle, sexually assaulting her, transporting her to southern Oregon, and locking her in a makeshift cage in his garage. The woman managed to escape the jail and wave down a passing car, who contacted 911.
Security cameras also captured Zuberi buying cinder blocks from a local Home Depot to construct the jail. Zuberi’s home and car revealed weapons, ammo, video footage, and evidence.
Zuberi was also tied to a previous, second kidnapping in May 2023, when he grabbed a woman outside a Klamath Falls pub, threatened her with a taser, locked her in the back of his car, and sexually assaulted her many times, according to court filings.
In court records, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, together with two assistant U.S. attorneys, referred to Zuberi as a “dangerous, motivated, and persistent predator.” The U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and two assistant U.S. attorneys then detailed Zuberi’s history of assault and sexual abuse convictions, starting in 2017 when they found him guilty of having sex with a 16-year-old at the age of 23.
They also stated that Zuberi attempted to escape from the Jackson County Jail in southern Oregon twice. Photos show a makeshift chisel fashioned by Zuberi using a sandal and a screw, which he used to break the small window of his cell during his first attempt before being convicted in October.
Three weeks later, Zuberi allegedly used a mop bucket wheel to break another piece of glass. Both escape attempts were unsuccessful.
The court will sentence Zuberi on January 16.
