A daring jailbreak from a DeKalb County, Georgia facility sparked a frantic, multi-state pursuit that culminated in the capture of three dangerous fugitives in Miami, Florida.
Stevenson Charles, 24, Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25, vanished from the DeKalb County Jail early Monday morning, immediately triggering a massive manhunt led by the U.S. Marshals Service and regional task forces.
These weren’t petty criminals; the escapees were facing incredibly serious felony charges – murder, arson, and armed robbery – and authorities warned they should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.
The first crucial break in the case came with the discovery that Charles had been in contact with his girlfriend in Florida, providing investigators with a vital lead.
Surveillance revealed a Lyft driver picked up all three inmates at the home of Minor’s girlfriend in the early hours of Monday morning, transporting them to a vacant address in Stone Mountain, Georgia linked to Minor.
Investigators quickly identified the Lyft driver and initiated a search, unaware of the terrifying ordeal she was about to endure.
The fugitives allegedly strong-armed the driver into continuing the journey, forcing her to drive them south towards Miami, relentlessly pursuing Charles’ girlfriend’s location.
By Monday evening, authorities pinpointed the fugitives’ location: an Airbnb rental in Miramar, Florida, bringing them closer to a potential confrontation.
The break came around 10:45 p.m. when the Broward County Sheriff’s Office located the Lyft vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but Charles and Yohannes bolted from the car, attempting to evade capture.
The pursuit was short-lived; by 11:40 p.m., all three fugitives were safely apprehended without further incident, bringing an end to the tense standoff.
The Lyft driver, understandably shaken, was treated by emergency responders, a victim caught in the crosshairs of a desperate escape.
Charles’ history revealed a previous conviction for federal weapons violations, resulting in a sentence of 10 years to life, while Minor was already serving a life sentence for murder, handed down in 2024.
Yohannes was awaiting trial on arson and criminal damage charges, adding another layer of severity to the situation.
Now, all three face a new set of charges related to their escape, ensuring they will remain behind bars for a considerable time to come.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the jailbreak continues, seeking to understand how these dangerous individuals were able to escape custody in the first place.
