The three inmates, identified as Stevenson Charles, Yusuf Minor, and Naod Yohannes, escaped from DeKalb County Jail after breaching a section of their cells on the evening of 21/12/2024. They remained at large until their capture on the early morning of 23/12/2024 in Broward County, Florida.

Newly released court documents have revealed details of the three inmates' escape and their subsequent hijacking of a female rideshare driver's vehicle to flee.

The escape was discovered during a routine security check on the early morning of 22/12/2024. According to authorities, after leaving the jail, the three inmates were picked up by a man who drove them to Minor's girlfriend's house. From there, they used a fake female name to call a rideshare service, then strangled the driver with a rope and kidnapped her.

DeKalb County Jail. Photo: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office

Officers tracked the vehicle as it moved south towards Florida with the aid of license plate recognition technology. Police intercepted the car, apprehending Charles and Yohannes as they jumped out and attempted to flee.

Investigators discovered that the trio had used the rideshare driver's credit card to rent a house in Miramar, Florida. It was there that police arrested Minor and rescued the female driver.

The driver recounted being tied in the back seat of the car, forced to bow her head and keep her eyes closed while the three accessed her phone and online banking records. After attempting to escape, she was repeatedly threatened with death, rape, and torture if she resisted. The driver estimated she was held captive for about 10 hours.

According to the criminal indictment, all three inmates were charged with kidnapping and prison escape. Charles is currently serving a life sentence for multiple counts of kidnapping and bank robbery in Georgia and Florida. He also faces charges of murder and armed robbery.

From left to right: Stevenson Charles (24 years old), Naod Yohannes (31 years old), and Yusuf Minor (31 years old). Photo: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office

The US Marshals stated that intelligence gathered from recorded phone calls made in prison helped identify individuals who assisted in the escape.

DeKalb County Deputy Sheriff Temetris Atkins noted that the jail, built more than 30 years ago, has deteriorating infrastructure which the inmates exploited to breach their cells. Repairs have since been made, and additional security measures are being evaluated.

Officials confirmed that no one was injured during the prison escape. The investigation is ongoing.

Tue Anh (according to AP, NBC)