Police arrest woman charged with kidnapping Ohio twin infants; missing child found safe

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A woman accused of stealing a vehicle containing twin infants in Ohio was taken into custody in Indianapolis on Thursday, authorities said.

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Nalah Tamiko Jackson, 24, was taken into custody at about 2 p.m. EST, Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said at a news conference on Thursday, WHIO-TV reported. Two counts of kidnapping had been filed against her on Wednesday in Franklin County, according to the television station.

Update 7:58 p.m. EST Dec. 22: Kason Thomas, the 5-month-old twin who had been missing since Monday, was found safe in Indianapolis, WHIO-TV reported, citing the Columbus Police Department.

“The 5-month-old boy is in good health and being transported to a hospital to be checked out,” police said in a tweet.

Columbus police said the boy was found near a Papa John’s pizza outlet in Indianapolis, WBNS-TV reported. He was found inside the 2010 Honda Accord that Nalah Jackson allegedly stole in front of a Columbus pizza shop on Monday. The boy was found wearing the same clothes he had on Monday, according to the television station.

His brother, Kyair Thomas, was found late Monday at Dayton International Airport.

Original report: Authorities have been searching for Jackson since Monday when the homeless woman allegedly stole a 2010 Honda Accord with 5-month-old twin brothers Kyair Thomas and Kason Thomas inside the vehicle, WCMH-TV reported. The twins’ mother had gone into a Donatos Pizza store in Columbus to pick up a DoorDash order at about 9:45 p.m. EST and left the children in the vehicle, according to WBNS-TV.

Franklin County Municipal Court records state that Jackson was sitting inside the restaurant when she went out a side door, entered the vehicle with the children inside and drove away, the television station reported.

An Amber Alert was issued after the twins’ disappearance.

Kyair Thomas was found at Dayton International Airport several hours later. Kason Thomas is still missing.

Bryant said there was no additional information about Jackson and what happened to the Honda Accord, WHIO reported. The whereabouts of Kason Thomas are also unclear, according to the television station.

“This is very frustrating for us,” Bryant told reporters. “As soon as we are able to give more information, we will provide that,” she said.

Indianapolis police said they received several calls Thursday morning from people who believed they saw Jackson in the city, WRTV reported. She was located and her identification was confirmed by her fingerprints, according to the television station.

According to Columbus Deputy Chief Smith Weir, three detectives from Columbus were heading to Indianapolis to bring Jackson back to Ohio, WHIO reported.

“We are working with the Columbus Division of Police and are hoping Kason is located safely,” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Public Information Officer Shane Foley told WRTV in an email.

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