- Charles is charged with murder and armed robbery.
- Minor faces two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
- Yohannes is charged with simple assault, arson and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution.
US authorities have launched an extensive manhunt after three inmates, including a murder suspect serving a life sentence, escaped from the DeKalb County Jail in Georgia early Monday morning.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said the escape was discovered during a routine security check that revealed the inmates were missing. The fugitives were identified as Stevenson Charles, 24, Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25.
Following the discovery, jail entrances and exits were immediately sealed off, with deputies securing the facility’s perimeter. A joint search operation is underway involving the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb police and the US Marshals Service, according to news reports.
Authorities warned that the three men may be armed and are considered dangerous, urging the public to exercise extreme caution and not approach them.
Sheriff Melody M. Maddox said the breach was being treated with the utmost seriousness, stressing that efforts are ongoing to return the escapees to custody as quickly as possible.
Officials have not formally disclosed how the escape was carried out. However, scanner traffic indicated reports of loud noises coming from jail vents and the discovery of a rope tied to a vent and extending outside the facility.
The US Marshals Service said Charles has an extensive criminal history and is serving a life sentence. His charges and convictions include murder, aggravated assault, weapons violations, kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery, and other serious offenses.
In December last year, a DeKalb County grand jury indicted him on malice and felony murder charges related to the 2022 shooting death of Lithonia resident Carl Steinke.
