A Lakeland woman was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) on Friday, February 13, 2026, after allegedly posing as a Department of Children and Families (DCF) employee in an attempt to remove a 9-year-old boy from a residence.
Nicole Terry Thomas, 56, was booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center and charged with:
- Attempted Kidnapping (Felony 2, four counts)
- Unarmed Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling (Felony 2)
- Criminal Action under the Color of Law (Felony 3, two counts)
- Trespassing (Misdemeanor 1)
- Misuse of 911 (Misdemeanor 1)
Deputies responded to the residence around 3:22 p.m. after Thomas called the PCSO Emergency Communications Center, identifying herself as a DCF employee and requesting assistance to remove children from the home.
Thomas arrived at the residence with the child’s biological mother. The 28-year-old babysitter, Nyasia Brooks, was caring for four children, including the 9-year-old boy. According to witness statements and the arrest affidavit, Thomas knocked on the door and window, claiming to be a DCF case manager there to take the boy to his mother. When Brooks refused, Thomas threatened to remove all four children. Thomas walked to the end of the driveway, made a phone call, and stated she would be working late to find homes for the children she planned to remove. She did not present any DCF business card, proof of employment, or identification when requested. Brooks repeatedly instructed Thomas to leave the property, but she refused and called 911.
The biological mother, who has been diagnosed with mental disabilities and does not have custody of her son, told detectives she met Thomas through church. Thomas claimed to work for DCF and offered to help her regain custody and get her life back on track.
Thomas admitted to detectives that she should have known better.
Sheriff Grady Judd stated: “In what was probably the only smart thing she said or did that afternoon, Nicole Thomas admitted to detectives that she should have known better. She impersonated a government employee, threatened to take four children, and even called 911 to try to get a deputy to help her pull it all off. I’d say she didn’t clearly think that one through.”
Thomas has a prior criminal history including kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, child abuse, numerous frauds, thefts, and dealing in stolen property.
At her first appearance hearing on February 15, 2026, a judge set no bond on the attempted kidnapping charges. Her pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 19, 2026.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
