Klamath Falls Negasi Zuberi Trial Update: Police Testify About Arrest

UPDATE 2: Negasi Zuberi Found Guilty on All Counts

UPDATE: Negasi Zuberi Wanted to Sire an Army of Children with Different Women

MEDFORD, Ore. — The trial of 30-year-old Negasi Zuberi of Klamath Falls who is on trial for kidnapping two women and keeping one captive, as well as on sex and weapon charges, continued this week in Medford after drama and surprise at the trial last week. The court’s attention has now turned to the arrest of Zuberi.

Negasi Zuberi Kidnapping Trial Week 2

Zuberi is accused of kidnapping two women, one of whom he allegedly held captive by impersonating a police officer in Seattle in June 2023, placing her in handcuffs and leg irons to drive her overnight to his Klamath Falls home and then locking her in a home-made concrete block cell in his garage.

She escaped hours later and reported him to police.

Reno police later identified Zuberi’s vehicle and arrested him after tracking devices in his Honda Pilot and cell phone enabled the FBI to locate the vehicle.

Wearing a white shirt buttoned to the top, including collar, and blue slacks, the 5’8” Zuberi was escorted into the courtroom by two security staff.

Reno, Nevada police testified in court yesterday about Zuberi’s arrest on July 16, 2023, while police bodycam video played in court. A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent also gave evidence about Zuberi’s Honda Pilot that they searched in Reno a day after the suspected kidnapping.

The FBI is also sending an additional staff member to court every week to monitor the trial.

Dylan Staples, a Reno Police Officer, testified that police found Zuberi’s vehicle with Zuberi and a child inside at a Reno Walmart parking lot on July 16, 2023.

Zuberi is seen being ordered to exit the vehicle with his hands up on police dashcam footage. Staples said while Zuberi put hands out of the window, he then retracted them and ignored instructions to exit the car.

A one-hour standoff followed during which Staples spoke to Zuberi and his woman partner, Alicia Westfall who was in the parking lot, insisting that Zuberi let the child go from the vehicle. In the police video, Zuberi can be heard saying that if he left the car, he “was finished,” could get shot, go to jail, and that his “life was basically over.”

Police can be heard repeatedly telling Zuberi to put his hands up, open the door, and exit the vehicle with his hands up. Zuberi kept asking police how they found his car.

Westfall told Zuberi, whom she called Sakima to “just get out. It’s OK.” Staples assisted with Zuberi’s arrest and walked him to an ambulance for medical treatment for a leg wound.

Police Cross-Examined Over Zuberi Arrest

In her cross-examination, Amy Potter, Zugeri’s defense lawyer, said at least six police cars and six police officers surrounded Zuberi in the parking lot, and several officers had guns drawn and pointed at Zuberi’s vehicle.

Reno Officer Timothy Broadway who has spent 19 years at Reno Police Department, serving 16 years as an FBI hostage negotiator is seen in bodycam footage establishing communication with Zuberi using Facetime.

Broadway was concerned about the child as he wondered what Zuberi’s next move could be before exiting the car. There was a gash on Zuberi’s leg with quite a bit of blood. Broadway also wanted to prevent the child from being used as a human shield and asked Zuberi to exit but leave the child on the seat.  Zuberi said, “The right thing is killing myself.”

Broadway testified that once the young child was safe, and the suspect was in custody their goal had been achieved. The trial is continuing and expected to take three weeks.