DAY 2: BOLO issued for surrounding states as search continues for Columbus AMBER Alert infant, suspect
Dec. 22—A "be on the lookout" alert, or BOLO, has been issued in the five states surrounding Ohio as authorities continue to search for the 5-month old subject of a Columbus AMBER Alert and the woman suspected of kidnapping the infant.
The BOLO is for 24-year-old Nalah Jackson, of Columbus, and a stolen black 2010 Honda Accord. The alert was issued in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, according to Columbus police. Jackson has ties to the Riverside area, according to Dayton police.
Message boards alerting the public of the AMBER Alert have also been posted along Ohio roads.
In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant said that law enforcement still have not found Jackson, Kason, or the stolen vehicle.
"Our number one priority is to bring Kasan home safely," she said.
Bryant asked anyone with possible information to call the Columbus Police tip line at 614-645-4701, the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or by calling 911 if something is happening at that moment.
Bryant also thanked several area law enforcement agencies for their continued help in the search, including the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and police departments from Dayton, Vandalia, Huber Heights, Middletown, Riverside, Englewood, the Dayton International Airport, Butler Township, Union, Brookville, New Lebanon, Farmersville and Jackson Township.
Columbus Deputy Chief Smith Weir also detailed what police did Tuesday evening and overnight, including filing kidnapping charges against Nalah Jackson, issuing the BOLO, and contacting members of Jackson's friends and family.
On Tuesday, authorities identified Jackson as a suspect in the the kidnapping of Kason and Kyair Thomas in Columbus. The twins' mother left the boys in her car while it was running to go inside a Donatos Pizza and get a Door Dash order around 9:45 p.m. Monday, according to Columbus police.
Restaurant workers told officers a homeless woman, identified as Jackson, was inside the pizza place and left when the twins' mother walked in, Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, a passenger at the Dayton International Airport found Kyair Thomas in the economy parking lot and brought him inside the airport, according to Linda Hughes, City of Dayton air service manager. The infant was in a car seat and wrapped in a blanket. He appeared to be healthy, Hughes said.
Butler Twp. medics examined Kyair Thomas and an airport firefighter waited with the boy until his parents could arrive, she said.
Airport cameras captured the vehicle entering and leaving the parking lot, Hughes said, and there was no indication Jackson was still at the airport or had come inside the terminal.
Jackson was also sighted in Huber Heights Tuesday morning.
Surveillance video at a gas station showed Jackson speaking to an employee and asking for money, according to a Columbus Division of Police Facebook post. She was still driving the stolen Honda Accord at that time.
The car is missing its front bumper and has no license plate, according to Dayton police. The car has a bumper sticker that reads "Westside City Toys" on the back and the vehicle also has tinted windows.
The car had approximately a quarter tank of gas as well as $20 inside.
Columbus police Deputy Chief Smith Weir said the sighting in Huber Heights was prior to Jackson's stop at the airport.
During a press conference Tuesday, the Columbus police chief pleaded with Jackson to return Kason Thomas safely.
"Nalah Jackson, I plead to you, please return Kason Thomas," Bryant said Tuesday. "We thank you for returning Kyair. You've already shown us you can do the right thing. You can return him to any safe location...We're begging you to please return Kason."
Weir said investigators consider Kason Thomas to be in danger.
"This is a cry for help," he said. "We are asking the community to come forward and help us locate this child."
Anyone with information related to this case should call 911, Columbus police at 614-645-4701 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).
