Ohio Woman Admits Kidnapping Infant Twins, Abandoning Them in Different States

Nalah T. Jackson, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of kidnapping a minor for the December 2022 incident

• Nalah T. Jackson kidnapped Kyair Thomas and Kason Thomas in Dec. 2022
• Kyair was rescued a few hours later and Kason was found three days later in a different state, per authorities
• A month later, Kyair passed away due to unrelated circumstances

An Ohio woman has pleaded guilty to kidnapping charges for stealing a vehicle with 5-month-old twins inside in December 2022, authorities say.

Nalah T. Jackson, 25, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of kidnapping a minor and has agreed to a sentence of 20 years in prison for her crimes, the U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of Ohio said in a statement.

On Dec. 19, 2022, Jackson stole a car with two infants buckled into the back seat, per authorities.

The twin brothers – Kyair Thomas and Kason Thomas – were in the car with its engine running outside a Columbus, Ohio, pizza shop, authorities said in the statement. Their mother was inside the store picking up a delivery order.

Jackson drove around “various locations” with the twins before dropping off one of them – Kyair – in the parking lot of Dayton International Airport early the next morning, per the statement.

The child was rescued after a passerby notified authorities.

Jackson then drove to Indianapolis, Ind., with Kason. She was selling stolen goods outside a gas station when she met a woman who was unaware of Jackson's crimes and offered to help her, according to the statement.

Related: Twin Baby Found but Desperate Search Continues for His Brother After Car Stolen from Pizza Shop

The woman later learned through social media that Jackson was wanted for kidnapping the twins.

With the help of her cousin, the woman led police to Jackson three days after the kidnapping, authorities said. The two women also helped police rescue Kason, who was found inside the car that had been stolen, per authorities.

After he was rescued, Kason went through a series of treatments including for "dehydration, heart abnormalities due to the dehydration, extreme diaper rash and skin deterioration due to him being buckled in a car seat for three days while sitting in his own excrement,” per the statement.

Related: How 2 Heroic Moms Helped Rescue a Kidnapped Ohio Baby and Led Police to Suspect

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A little over a month after the kidnapping and subsequent rescues, ​​Kyair passed away, police said, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch at the time. The coroner’s office later stated he died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome after he was left “face down” on a bed “with excess bedding and pillows.” The manner of his death was ruled as undetermined.

Related: Missing Baby Found Safe After a Frantic 3-Day Search, Woman Accused of Abducting the Twins Arrested

Jackson had been convicted of crimes against children before the kidnapping, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

In 2021, she was charged with child endangerment after her 11-month-old daughter fell down a flight of stairs. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 13 days in prison and two years of probation.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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