(LEFT) Previous mugshot of Nalah Jackson (RIGHT) Recent photo of kidnapped twins Kason and Kyair Thomass. Kyair was safely abandoned at Dayton airport, but Kason is still missing as of December 20. Credit: Columbus Ohio Police
Police in Ohio are pleading with a woman named Nalah Jackson to return a missing 5-month-old twin boy. The infant, named Kason Thomass, has been missing since Monday night. Police believe Kason is in danger. An AMBER alert is in place.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon addressing the carjacking and kidnapping, as well as the recovery of one of the twins named Kyair Thomass.
“First, I want to make a plea. Nalah Jackson, I plead to you please return Kason Thomass. We thank you for returning Kyair. You’ve already shown us you can do the right thing. You can return him to any safe location: fire department, hospital, shopping center. Any public place where someone will find the baby.
We’re begging you to please return Kason. We can even pick him up, just call us and tell us where you are and where Kason is. No questions asked. Here’s the number 614-645-4701. Bringing him home safe is our number one priority.”
Police believe the suspect stole a black, four-door 2010 Honda Accord from the parking lot of a pizza shop called Donatos. The establishment is located at East 1st Avenue and North High Street in Columbus, Ohio.
Additional details about the vehicle: missing front bumper, torn temporary Ohio registration tag on rear bumper and a white bumper sticker that says ‘Westside City Toys.’
Police also believe the car was in a crash and sustained damage, including purple paint transferred to its left side, prior to the carjacking.
Their mother left the missing child and his twin Kyair in the running car. At the time of the carjacking and kidnapping, the twins’ mother was working as a DoorDash delivery driver. Thus, she was at the restaurant fulfilling an order pickup.
Employees reportedly informed investigators that Jackson was inside the restaurant when the mother walked in at approximately 9:45 p.m. on December 19. Jackson promptly exited the restaurant and proceeded to steal the vehicle with the infants in the backseat.
Kyair was later abandoned outside the Dayton airport at about 4 a.m. Tuesday. He is reportedly in the care of his parents. It’s unclear if the mother will face any charges, including endangerment.
The 24-year-old suspect is a Black woman, described as 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and 159 pounds. She has a low cut, black hair, and brown eyes. Police haven’t identified any known connection or relationship between Nalah Jackson and the mother and children.
Columbus police identified Jackson as a ‘homeless’ or a displaced person who has a criminal history with their department. One of her arrests includes child endangerment with intent to harm–as confirmed during Tuesday’s conference.
Surveillance footage released by the Columbus Division of Police captured Jackson at a gas station in Huber Heights at about 11:45 p.m. on Monday night. At the time Jackson entered the station, asking an employee for money, she was still driving the stolen Honda Accord.
Police Chief Bryant released a timeline of events on Tuesday. They first received the report regarding the stolen car and missing children at about 9:45 p.m. local time on Monday. Officers arrived on the scene at about 9:52 p.m.
By 10:17 p.m., police had established a grid-pattern search involving more than 50 officers and the department helicopter.
About 13 minutes later, neighboring police departments and the Ohio State Highway Patrol received notification about the case and joined the search.
Police continued their investigation, including visitation to Jackson’s known former addresses and three homeless camps in the Columbus area.
Though Columbus police requested an AMBER alert from the Ohio State Highway Patrol at 11:45 p.m., the statewide alert wasn’t issued until 1:37 a.m.
Police received a call about Kyair Thomass being abandoned at the Dayton airport at 4:15 a.m. The abandonment location is about 70 miles from the kidnapping location via I-70 W. It takes about an hour of travel to get there from Donatos in Columbus.
Columbus police detectives departed for Dayton to continue their investigation at about 6 a.m. Tuesday. Huber Heights police alerted Columbus police at 11:15 a.m. about capturing Jackson on surveillance video at the gas station.
Jackson’s current location and the location of the vehicle remains unknown.
Officials urge anyone with information to call 911 or the Columbus Department Special Victims Unit at 614-645-4701.
Watch the full press conference below:
This is a developing story.
