Authorities capture three escaped fugitives from DeKalb jail

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit and uniform patrol units were searching for three inmates accused of committing violent crimes who escaped from the DeKalb County Jail in Decatur in the early morning hours of Dec. 22.

By Dec. 23, DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox was joined by representatives from the U.S. Marshals service to discuss with the media the capture of the fugitives, who were ultimately tracked by authorities and apprehended in Miami, Florida.

“The escape was discovered during a routine security check, which revealed the inmates were missing,” stated jail officials.

Maddox called the escape a “breach,” though officials would not comment further regarding how the incident occurred. She did, however, call the jail an “aging facility deteriorating before our eyes.”

Authorities stated the three fugitives and their charges include:

• Stevenson Charles, 24, is charged with murder and armed robbery.
• Yusuf Minor, 31, is charged with two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
• Naod Yohannes, 25, is charged with simple assault, arson and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution.

“We take this breach very seriously and worked diligently to ensure these individuals were safely returned to custody as quickly as possible,” said Maddox. Officials also stated that “internal security teams initiated a search and worked closely with other local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend the individuals.”

During the search for the escaped inmates, officials with the U.S. Marshals gave more information about Charles, whom they called “extremely dangerous.”

“Over a period of many years, Stevenson Charles has committed numerous serious crimes. He is serving a life sentence. He has been charged with, or convicted of, murder, aggravated assault, weapons violations, sodomy on a person less than 10 years old, kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery, and probation violations,” said Thomas E. Brown, the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia.

“Any person who violates the laws of the United States will not be allowed a moment of rest. You will never find peace. You will answer for your crimes,” said Brown during the search.

During the press conference that followed the arrest of the three fugitives, members of the DeKalb County sheriff’s office went into more detail about the inmates’ escape, stating that after leaving the jail, they were driven to Minor’s girlfriend’s home. They were then transported in a Lyft from DeKalb County to Miami, Florida, together, according to authorities.

Officials said the investigation into the escape is “ongoing.”

“We’re not going to go back and forth and pointing blame, we’re going to focus on what needs to be done to stop this from happening in the future,” said Maddox.