‘I got my babies back;’ Mom of 5-month-old twins taken from Columbus thankful for their safe returns

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — After nearly 72 hours, 5-month-old Kason Thomas is back in the arms of his mother.

News Center 7 spoke with Wilhelmina Barnett, mother of Kason and his twin brother Ky’air, Friday, less than 24 hours after Kason found outside of a Papa Johns in Indianapolis.

The boys’ mom said she’s excited and relieved to have both of her children back after they were taken by a woman, 24-year-old Nalah Jackson, who police said stole Barnett’s car outside of a Donatos in Columbus Monday night.

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“I’m just so happy I got my babies back,” Barnett told News Center 7′s John Bedell.

Barnett was picking up a DoorDash order at the Donatos when she said a woman inside the store, Jackson, went outside and stole her car with her sons inside of it.

Barnett said she knows it was wrong to DoorDash with her kids in the car, but said it was her only source of income. While she would normally only accept order from places with drive-thrus, the Donatos order was larger than normal and paid more.

When she was exiting the pizza place, she saw the woman get into her car and drive off.

“My heart was beating so fast,” she told News Center 7. “I was trying to convince myself it wasn’t my car.”

Barnett said she called Columbus Police and told them what happened.

“They kept asking me questions and I just feel like the wasn’t getting there soon enough,” she said. “That happened around 9:45 p.m. They didn’t put out an AMBER Alert until 1:37 a.m.”

Columbus Police previously said there was a “lapse of communication from an executive level” when working to get out the AMBER Alert.

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“That lady made it all the way to Dayton with my babies,” Barnett said, fighting back emotions during her FaceTime call with News Center 7. “She dropped off Ky’air to the Dayton airport and just left my baby in the parking lot.”

After getting the call that Ky’air was found, Barnett rushed to Dayton to get her son. Once she knew he was alright, she turned her attention back to finding Kason. In the two days that would follow, Barnett said people would prank call her and tell her that they had Kason.

“This is not a time to play like that,” she said. “I don’t know why y’all was prank calling me.”

As time went on, Barnett said she was starting to lose hope that she would find Kason. Then, on Thursday a woman called and told her that she found Jackson in Indianapolis.

Columbus police said Jackson was arrested on the streets around 2 p.m. Thursday and that she didn’t have Kason with her.

“Then it seems like two or three hours later, I got another call from [the woman who found Jackson]. She’s like ‘I found your baby.’ But she was screaming and crying, so I started screaming, crying,” Barnett told News Center 7.

Police said a tip led Indianapolis Metro Police Department officers to the 900 block of Indiana Avenue, outside a Papa Johns, where Kason was found safe inside Barnett’s stolen Honda. He was taken to an Indianapolis hospital to be evaluated.

When News Center 7 spoke to Barnett, she was in the hospital with her son.

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“He’s a soldier, strong baby and his brother can sleep now. His brother’s been up. I’ve been calling to see what’s going on,” she said. “My other twin, he seems like he knew his brother was in danger, but now this morning, he was knocked out.”

Barnett said that Kason had a bad diaper rash and that he’s been really hungry. He remains in an Indianapolis hospital today. Barnett he’ll remain there at least Saturday because they “can tell he’s exhausted.”

“I haven’t got him to smile yet and that’s not normal,” she told Bedell, noting that he is getting back to acting like himself.

As for Jackson, she’s booked in an Indiana jail and facing charges in both Ohio and Indiana. Barnett said she hopes Jackson stays behind bars.

“When you notice you have two babies here in the car, that makes you a devil,” she said.

Just days away from Christmas, Barnett shared her appreciation for all those who helped spread the word in efforts to find her sons.

“I’m just so happy I got my baby back and I thank everyone for helping me,” she said.

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