A Black woman may be headed to prison for a very long time after admitting to an insane crime: stealing a car with twin babies sitting in the backseat. Yes, she knew they were back there.
In December 2022, 25-year-old Nalah Jackson was coming out of a pizza spot in Columbus and went straight for a black Honda Accord parked outside while the driver stepped inside to pickup an order. In the backseat were five-month-old twins Kason and Ky’air Thomas, according to the Southern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Over the next several hours, Jackson drove around the state between the central and western regions. She finally stopped at the Dayton International Airport and went inside while leaving the two in the car in the airport parking lot. The office said she then tried to catch an Uber but eventually returned to the stolen vehicle.
For some reason, when she drove off this time, she only took one of the twins, Ky’air. She left the other in the parking lot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. A bystander alerted police and while they located the one twin, the other was crossing into Indianapolis with Jackson.
Next, according to officials, she stopped at a Papa Johns on Indiana Avenue where she ditched the child inside the car. Kason was trapped inside for two days.
Jackson ended up getting caught when a woman offered her a ride but realized she matched the description of a bulletin that went out about an alleged kidnapper and alerted the police. The woman and her cousin helped the police locate Jackson, the office said.
Unfortunately, Ky’air died from sudden infant death syndrome a month after being found and “after being left in an unsafe sleep environment,” according to the coroner’s report. Kason was treated for dehydration, heart abnormalities and an extreme diaper rash, according to NBC’s report.
Jackson pleaded guilty to two counts of kidnapping. The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommended 20 years in prison for her sentence.