• Nakia Holmes, 45, charged with hindering apprehension after allegedly hiding ex-boyfriend Johnathan Saizon at her home
• Saizon accused of beating ex-girlfriend with tire iron, holding her captive for six hours while out on bond
• Holmes told deputies no one was home, but Saizon was seen jumping back fence during traffic stop

HOUSTON (TDR) — The founder of Houston’s once-famous Turkey Leg Hut restaurant was arrested Wednesday after allegedly helping hide a man wanted for kidnapping and assault, adding another chapter to the embattled eatery’s troubled legacy.

Nakia Holmes, 45, faces felony charges of hindering the apprehension of a known felon after deputies say she lied about Johnathan Saizon‘s presence at her Bridgeland-area home in west Harris County. Saizon, Holmes’s ex-boyfriend, was wanted for allegedly beating his ex-girlfriend with a tire iron and holding her captive for six hours.

Suspect captured fleeing residence

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According to Harris County court records, deputies staked out Holmes’s Cypress residence after receiving a tip that Saizon was inside. Officers spotted Saizon at the end of her driveway before Holmes returned home and left again with another person.

During a traffic stop, deputies asked Holmes if anyone was at her home. She allegedly remained silent initially, then insisted no one else was inside and claimed she had no knowledge of Saizon.

While deputies questioned Holmes, they received word that Saizon was seen jumping the back fence of her house. He was apprehended shortly after attempting to flee.

Court documents state Holmes later changed her story, telling officers she had picked up Saizon’s mother. She explained that Saizon told her he thought a cop had passed by and asked her to check. Upon returning home, she said she didn’t know if Saizon had left or was hiding.

Violent attack preceded arrest

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Saizon, 38, faces multiple felony charges including aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault of a family member. The charges stem from an Oct. 8 incident when he allegedly went to his ex-girlfriend’s home under the pretense of retrieving shoes.

When she let him inside, Saizon forced her into his vehicle and physically assaulted her with his fists and a tire iron repeatedly, according to charging documents. The woman was held against her will for approximately six hours before Saizon released her at a Memorial Hermann hospital, but only after she promised not to call police.

The attack occurred while Saizon was already out on bond for previous charges of evading arrest and drug possession. His bond was denied following the new arrest.

Defense questions felony charge

At a probable cause hearing Friday, Holmes’s court-appointed public defender Alissa Cana argued her client should have faced misdemeanor charges instead of a felony.

“There’s no evidence that she knew that he had warrants previous to this encounter or that he was wanted on felony charges,” Cana said.

However, deputies wrote in their complaint that Holmes initially refused to answer questions, then denied anyone was in the home, and later admitted she knew Saizon was there and that he asked her to leave to check if police were around.

Holmes’s attorney Patrick Ngwolo expressed confidence after her court appearance. “When all this plays out, she will be found innocent of all the charges and will be exonerated,” he said.

Judge Hilary Unger maintained bond conditions prohibiting Holmes from leaving Harris County, possessing drugs or firearms, and contacting Saizon. Holmes was released on $10,000 bond Thursday morning and is scheduled for another court appearance Friday.

Latest trouble for troubled restaurant

The arrest adds to mounting legal woes surrounding Turkey Leg Hut, which Holmes launched with then-husband Lyndell Price in 2015 as a pop-up near the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Third Ward restaurant became one of Houston’s most popular dining destinations, regularly hosting celebrities including 50 Cent, James Harden, Kevin Hart and Megan Thee Stallion.

The restaurant closed in 2024 after the Houston Health Department shut it down. It had been plagued by lawsuits, financial disputes and bankruptcy. A bankruptcy judge found Holmes “grossly mismanaged” the business and revealed she admitted to making undisclosed insider payments.

Holmes divorced Price in 2023, citing emotional and mental abuse. Price faces federal arson charges for allegedly hiring three men to firebomb Bar 5015, a nearby restaurant owned by a former business partner. Federal prosecutors also claim Price ran a chop shop and sold drugs out of Turkey Leg Hut.

Holmes reported having $700 in assets in court records where she identified herself as the restaurant’s owner.

Should people face felony charges for hiding wanted suspects when they claim they didn’t know about outstanding warrants?

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