COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus woman accused of stealing a vehicle from the Short North with two infant twin boys inside more than a year ago was sentenced Tuesday to more than 23 years in prison.
Nalah Jackson was indicted on two counts of kidnapping of a minor by a federal grand jury. The charges stemmed from the abduction of Kason and Kyair Thomas in December 2022.
Kason and Kyair were in the back of a 2010 Honda Accord in the Short North on the night of Dec. 19 while their mother went inside a Donatos Pizza to pick up a DoorDash order.
Court records say Jackson was sitting inside the restaurant when she went out a side door, got in the car with the two infants and drove away.
Jackson drove from Columbus to the Dayton International Airport around 3 a.m. on Dec. 20. She parked in an economy lot and left the twins in car while she entered the airport. She attempted to hire an Uber to find the stolen car in the lot, but she couldn't pay. She later found the car on her own.
After finding the car, she left Kyair in a parking lot at the airport. Someone who was parking their car saw the baby in a car seat wrapped in a quilt between two vehicles.
Two days later, police announced Jackson was arrested in Indianapolis. Just hours after she was taken into custody, Kason was found in the stolen vehicle at a Papa John's pizza location in the same city. Kason was strapped in the car for more than two days.
RELATED: Autopsy: Death of Ky'air Thomas ruled sudden unexplained infant death; twin left face down in bed
She initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but accepted a plea agreement for a 20-year sentence back in February. In August, that plea deal was adjusted to include a 20–25-year sentence and asked that Jackson be required to register as a sex offender.
In court, Jackson acknowledged her guilt and told the court "I do deserve to go to prison."
However, she also claimed that she had taken a "large dose of meth" at the time and was not thinking clearly. Jackson went on to say that she "would never intentionally hurt a child" and apologized to the victims' family.
"I know what I put that mom through. I am sorry. I am sorry," she said.
Judge Michael Watson sentenced Jackson to 280 months in prison with five years of supervised release. He recommended that she seek mental health and substance abuse counseling while incarcerated and upon release.
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