COLUMBUS, Ohio — Multiple agencies are involved in the still-ongoing search for a missing twin baby who police say was taken by a woman on Monday, triggering an Amber Alert.
Authorities said they will provide an update to the case Thursday evening. You can watch live in the player below around 5 p.m.
According to authorities, the child—Kason Thomas—was taken by Nalah T. Jackson Monday night in Columbus.
Columbus Police have been joined in the search by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the FBI. Authorities held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to say that Kason and Jackson still have not been located.
You can watch the news conference in the player below:
Warrants have been issued for Jackson's arrest on kidnapping charges.
The kidnapping
The child's mother had stopped at Donatos Pizza, 920 N. High St., around 9:45 p.m. She left the car running with her twins inside, Kason and his brother Ky'air, and went in to get a pizza.
Police say Nalah Jackson was inside the restaurant when the mother walked in but left a few moments later. She then got in the mother's car and drove off with the twins still in the vehicle.
Ky'air was located the next morning at Dayton International Airport. Police are now searching Ohio and five neighboring states for Jackson and the child.
AMBER ALERT UPDATE
— Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) December 21, 2022
Law enforcement agencies are working closely with @ColumbusPolice to locate 5-month-old Kason Thomass. BOLO alerts have been issued to the five adjoining states with Ohio for the suspect, Nalah Jackson, & the stolen vehicle. Immediately call 911. pic.twitter.com/EFrUKV5cjX
The suspect
Jackson is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs around 130 pounds. She has short brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark-colored hoodie. She may be driving a black 2010 Honda According with temporary tag No. M965246 and VIN 1HGCP2F30AA031252. The car has a missing front bumper and tinted windows. It also has a "West Side City Toys" bumper sticker.
Police said they believe the child is in danger. Jackson has been arrested previously for child endangerment, custody interference, domestic violence, assault and a slew of other charges.
The search
Police said Montgomery County in Southwest Ohio is one of the major places of interest they are searching. Both federal and local authorities are investigating numerous tips and following up.
Community response
Numerous vigils were held Wednesday for the missing baby.
"You always heard about it happening in different communities, but not our community," said Angel Smoot, who came to support the Thomas family.
This is a saying residents often hear when something goes wrong, and a phrase repeated at the small Columbus vigil outside the Donatos where the babies were taken.
Getting the Amber Alert hit close to home for Smoot, who realized it could have been her children.
"I have an 11 and 7-year-old, and I've gone in my house to get something and left them in the car," she said. "You never know what might happen, it takes a split second for anything to happen."
The family briefly showed up to pray, but grandmother LaFonda Thomas said they weren’t staying long. In an interview with News 5 Tuesday, she said she won’t stop searching until that baby is back home.
"We are ready to go wherever we need to go — but we just need somebody to point us in the right direction," she sobbed. "At least tell me what you know."
The family is making its way to Dayton, ready to scour the streets.
Diana Williams with the Ohio Women Against Domestic Violence also made sure to offer support and services.
"The Columbus community is coming together as one unit, as a village to try to find this baby," she said.
Report a sighting
Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call 614-645-4701 immediately. If Jackson is spotted and in the vicinity, call 911. Another numbers to call is 1-877-AMBER-OH.
RELATED: Grandmother of boy taken in Amber Alert: 'Not knowing is what's killing my whole family right now'
News 5's interview with the grandmother about the case can be watched below.
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