3 inmates, including murder suspect, escape from DeKalb County Jail, sheriff says

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Three inmates, including a murder suspect, escaped from DeKalb County Jail early Monday morning.

The sheriff’s office said the escape was discovered “during a routine security check, which revealed the inmates missing.”

The jail’s entrance and exit were closed off as of 6 a.m., with deputies surrounding the perimeter of the facility. DeKalb police, the sheriff’s office and the U.S. Marshals Service are searching for the missing inmates.

The three fugitives have been identified as:

• Stevenson Charles, 24 - Murder and armed robbery
• Yusuf Minor, 31 - Two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
• Naod Yohannes, 25 - Simple assault, arson and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution

Authorities say the fugitives may be armed and are considered dangerous. The sheriff’s office is urging the public to “exercise extreme caution” and not approach them.

“We take this breach very seriously and are working diligently to ensure these individuals are safely returned to custody as quickly as possible,” Sheriff Melody M. Maddox said.

Authorities have not said how the three men escaped, but on scanner traffic, dispatchers said they heard reports of loud noises coming from the vents inside the jail and found a rope tied to a vent extending out of the jail.

“(The rope) is long enough that... to touch the ground. If we cut it, it’s still going to be hanging from all the way at the top,” a dispatcher said in scanner traffic recorded by Atlanta News First.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Charles has committed a number of serious crimes. He is serving a life sentence. They said that 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.

Last December, in documents acquired by Atlanta News First, a DeKalb grand jury indicted Charles on malice and felony murder charges connected to the 2022 shooting death of a Lithonia man, Carl Steinke.

Atlanta News First reached out to Brian Steinke, Carl’s dad, on Monday. Brian said a victim advocate and the case prosecutor reached out to him earlier on Monday and told him the suspect in his son’s death had escaped from jail.

“We know this individual. It sounds like all three individuals are violent individuals, so I’m concerned they would hurt somebody while they were trying to get away. I’m very confident they’re going to get arrested again, but what happens in that meantime?” Brian said.

Brian said neither he nor any family members currently live in the Atlanta area.

He said he did not believe his son and Charles knew each other prior to the shooting.

“I’m not aware of any relationship that he and my son had before my son was killed,” Brian said.

Charles is described as 5 foot, 7 inches and around 200 pounds. Authorities say he has close ties to the Atlanta and metro Miami areas.

“Let the message go out to Mr. Charles and all other fugitives: We are looking for and we will find you. Any person who violates the laws of the United States will not be allowed a moment of rest. You will never find peace,” said Thomas E. Brown, the U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Georgia. “You will answer for your crimes.”

People living within blocks of the DeKalb County Jail say they are concerned after reports of the inmates’ escape.

Atlanta News First spoke with several people in the areas surrounding the jail, all of whom raised similar questions to our news crew about how the escape happened.

“My first reaction is, ‘How did they escape?’” said Neenie Gilbert.

Homer Wright echoed that concern, asking, “How did they escape? That would be my question.”

A woman visiting the Decatur area for the holidays, Martha Adams, questioned the circumstances surrounding the escape as well.

“How did they get out? Did they have help getting out? Is the jail that unsafe that they cannot keep the people in, they can get out that easily?” she said.

Following the reported escape, Atlanta News First reached out to the DeKalb County CEO’s office. In a statement, the office said DeKalb County is aware of reports regarding the escape of three inmates from the DeKalb County Jail.

The statement noted that the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, has full jurisdiction and operational authority and is actively leading the investigation and response. The county said it has communicated with the sheriff’s office and is ready to provide any support or resources requested.

DeKalb County officials emphasized that the safety and wellbeing of the community is their top priority, adding in a statement to Atlanta News First: “The public is reminded to take all reasonable security precautions, including locking doors and windows in their vehicles and homes, remaining aware of their surroundings at all times, and reporting any suspicious activity to their local police department.”

The statement from them goes on to say, “We look forward to the apprehension of the individuals involved and their being brought to justice. Anyone with information related to this matter is urged to contact 911 immediately.”

Atlanta News First has learned the U.S. Marshals Service, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia plan to give updates on the investigation on Tuesday.

Anyone with information about the escaped inmates’ whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office Fugitive Tip Line at (404) 298-8200.

This is a developing story. Return to Atlanta News First for updates.