Iowa
Iowa teens plead guilty to kidnapping charge, attacking teen male
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A pair of teenagers recently pleaded guilty to kidnapping and attacking a fellow teen male.
Nailea Leverette and Albert Mlala, both 18, pleaded guilty on May 28 to third-degree kidnapping, willful injury causing serious injury, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Leverette and Mlala invited a 17-year-old boy to Mlala’s Altoona home on Nov. 2, 2025, where they led him to the basement and confronted him about alleged sexual abuse, according to court filings.
The two then allegedly tortured and beat the boy with a baseball bat and whipped him with a cut vacuum cord for three hours, leaving him with significant injuries, according to criminal complaints.
The boy, who has not been named publicly, said that Mlala displayed a gun at one point. The male was eventually able to make an excuse to leave the basement and the custody of the fellow teens.
Leverette and Mlala, both 17 at the time of the crime, were charged as adults with first-degree kidnapping.
The pair pleaded guilty after initially pleading not guilty.
Mlala was provided with a pretrial release on May 29, according to court filings. Leverette was ordered to be released from custody on Nov. 25, 2025.
Mlala is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31. Leverette will be sentenced on Aug. 7.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.