The woman accused of kidnapping infant twins outside a Short North restaurant in late 2022 changed her plea to guilty in court Wednesday.
Nalah Jackson stole a vehicle outside a Donato's Pizza restaurant on North High Street in Dec. 2022, while 5-month-old twins Kasan and Ky'air Thomas were inside the vehicle. Jackson fled inside the vehicle as the twins' mother was inside the restaurant picking up food, as she was working as a delivery driver.
Ky'air Thomas was later safely recovered after he was left in the parking lot at the Dayton International Airport. Kasan Thomas was later found safe near a Papa John's restaurant in Indianapolis.
Jackson was charged with two counts of kidnapping in federal court. She initially plead guilty before accepting a plea agreement and changing her plea to guilty Wednesday.
Under the plea agreement, Jackson faces 20 years in prison.
“This community watched in horror as Nalah Jackson preyed on two vulnerable babies. Today, she admitted her crime and agreed to spend 20 years in prison for her actions," U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker said in a press release.
Both twins were unharmed in the kidnapping, but Ky'Air Thomas later died from unrelated causes in Jan. 2023. A report from the Franklin County Coroner's Office said the infant was placed face down on an adult bed and was surrounded by "excess pillows and blankets" and a contributing factor to his death was listed as an "unsafe sleep environment."
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
