INDIANAPOLIS — A chance encounter at a gas station and two determined moms helped lead police to a kidnapping suspect and missing baby.
On Monday, Columbus police and IMPD confirmed two Indiana women helped end a multi-state search for an Ohio woman accused of stealing a car and kidnapping twin babies.
Shyann Delmar and her cousin, Mecka Curry, detailed their experience through 16 videos on TikTok. The pair agreed to let 13News to use the videos in news coverage.
The videos were first posted Friday. Over several minutes, the women excitedly tell how they first met and then tracked down a fugitive and a baby.
Delmar says it all happened because she bought a toy from a woman she met at an Indianapolis gas station. She even exchanged numbers with the woman and gave her a ride, before realizing she was helping fugitive Nalah Jackson.
"I was scrolling on Facebook and I see a mugshot of this girl with blonde hair, and I'm like, 'damn she look familiar,'” Delmar said on TikTok. "...so, I kept digging and digging and digging and digging."
Delmar said she had an image of the woman that she compared to Jackson’s mugshot. She showed the comparison to family and friends, including Curry. They agreed it may be Jackson.
The homeless woman was accused of stealing a car and kidnapping babies Kyair and Kason Thomas on Dec. 19 in Columbus, Ohio. Kyair was found at the Dayton airport the next day, but Kason was still missing.
Delmar and Curry report speaking to IMPD and the FBI about their suspicions, but they didn’t have enough for police to work with. They decided to lure Jackson out of hiding, agreeing to pick her up and take her to area stores. They report calling law enforcement to give their exact location in hopes an arrest would also lead to Kason, who they nicknamed "Baby K."
Law enforcement eventually pulled over the women while they were on Interstate 65 south, but there was no news of Kason.
The women then decided to visit the different stores and restaurants Jackson had mentioned during conversations.
“We remembered she said Papa Johns,” they said. “She kept saying Papa Johns."
When they arrived at the pizza restaurant, they noticed the stolen car based on the description Columbus police put out. Curry then fought to open a door while Delmar went to get help nearby.
"I look in the back, I see baby legs. I don't hear a baby,” Curry said. “All I smell is a foul smell. Now instantly at this point I’m like, ‘no.’ I'm screaming, I’m screaming. She hears me screaming. She runs to go find the police, I’m so glad.”
“I ran into Papa Johns, and I told them I said, ‘Y’all need to call the police,’” Delmar said.
That discovery led to the now-viral image of an IMPD sergeant holding Kason in the pizza shop before they boy received medical care.
“He was just so cute,” Delmar said.
“It was just, it was a very joyous moment for us,” Curry said. “Happy to hear the mother's cries over the phone. It was tears of joy. It was very beautiful."
On Monday, Kason's grandmother sent a statement confirming the women’s involvement.
"I know the parents have been able to speak with at least one of the ladies,” LaFonda Thomas said in a statement. “We are just grateful and feel indebted to them for their bravery."
Thomas reports the baby is now on medication after being left in the cold and possibly going days without food.
Police would not comment on Delmar and Curry’s account of what happened or their criticism of some police decisions.
“We are grateful Shyann and Mecka alerted officers to baby Kason’s whereabouts, grateful he is safe and excited he is back with his family. As we said before, members of our community were instrumental in this case. This continues to be an ongoing investigation with the Columbus Police Department serving as the primary agency,” said Lt. Shane Foley, IMPD Public Affairs.
Jackson is currently at the Marion County Jail, where she faces a battery charge after reportedly spitting on a detention deputy during booking. Her bond was set at $500. Even if she posts bail, she likely will not be released, instead extradited to Ohio, where she faces additional charges including kidnapping.