Escaped DeKalb jail inmates captured together in South Florida | What we know

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - All three inmates who escaped from the DeKalb County Jail are back in custody after being tracked to South Florida and arrested without incident, authorities said Tuesday.

Sheriff Melody Maddox announced during a press conference that the three men remained together after escaping the jail Sunday night and were captured in the metropolitan Miami area with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service and multiple regional task forces.

The backstory:

Authorities identified the escapees as Stevenson Charles, 24, Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25. Charles is charged in DeKalb County with murder and armed robbery and was serving a federal life sentence at the time of the escape. Minor faces multiple armed robbery and firearm charges, while Yohannes is charged with simple assault, arson and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution.

Investigators said the escape was discovered during a routine security check when a jail officer noticed a portion of a cell had been compromised. Officials said the breach involved infrastructure weaknesses in the more than 30-year-old facility. The damaged area has since been repaired, additional sections are being reinforced, and patrol rounds inside the jail have been increased.

What we know:

According to investigators, recorded jail phone calls helped authorities quickly determine the inmates had coordinated transportation after escaping. Officials said Charles arranged for someone to meet the group outside the jail, where they were picked up and taken to Minor’s girlfriend’s residence. From there, investigators said she arranged a rideshare trip that transported the three inmates to Florida.

U.S. Marshals said they tracked the group’s movements into Florida and made arrests in Broward County without incident. The rideshare driver involved in the trip was described by authorities as traumatized and is being interviewed by federal investigators in connection with potential kidnapping charges.

Officials said none of the inmates are believed to have injured anyone while they were at large.

Dig deeper:

Charles had been housed at the DeKalb County Jail under a production order to appear in DeKalb County Superior Court for a trial scheduled for January 6. Authorities said inmates serving sentences in other jurisdictions can still be transferred to county facilities to face pending charges.

What they're saying:

Sheriff Maddox said the jail is now secure and emphasized that the focus is on preventing future escapes rather than assigning blame. Officials acknowledged the facility’s age and said improvements will require additional funding but are necessary to protect staff and the public.

"We jumped into action immediately, and we didn’t stop until these individuals were brought back into custody and our streets are safe," DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox said.

Maddox emphasized that the escape was treated as a security breach but said officials are focused on preventing future incidents rather than assigning blame.

"This is a breach. We’re not going to sit here and go back and forth and point blame," Maddox said. "We’re going to focus on what can we do to stop it from happening in the future."

U.S. Marshal Thomas Brown said federal task forces worked alongside local agencies after learning the inmates had coordinated transportation out of the jail.

"The United States Marshals Service immediately came to the assistance of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office," Brown said, calling the agency "one of our strongest partners."

Brown said the investigation remains active and that additional charges are expected.

"This investigation is ongoing," he said. "We want to make sure that the U.S. attorney has an airtight case."

What we don't know:

Authorities have not said exactly how the inmates breached their cells or the specific infrastructure failure that allowed them to escape from the jail.

Officials have not identified whether any jail employees failed to follow protocol or whether disciplinary action is being considered.

Investigators have not said how long the inmates were unaccounted for before the escape was discovered during a routine security check.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the inmates had access to weapons while they were out of custody.

Officials have not said whether additional arrests are expected in connection with helping the inmates escape or travel out of state.

Investigators have not released a timeline for when surveillance footage or further security details may be made public.

Officials have not said when the inmates will be returned to DeKalb County or how the escape could affect upcoming court proceedings.

What's next:

The Broward County Sheriff's Office posted the trio's mug shots on Tuesday afternoon after they were booked into the South Florida jail.

All three inmates will be returned to Georgia to face their original charges, along with additional charges connected to the escape and transportation out of state. The investigation remains ongoing.

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