New footage shows the eerie moment an Alabama woman slowly pulled over on the freeway after seeing a toddler walking alone – before disappearing.
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, is seen pulling down the shoulder of the Alabama Interstate 459 highway in her red Mercedes with the turn signals on Thursday.
Russell then disappeared for two days – sparking a frantic search for her. She was found alive on Saturday night after being “dropped off” at her home.
When she stopped the night of her disappearance, she was on the phone with her brother’s friend. The nursing student told her on the phone that she was getting out of her car to check on the child.
The friend suddenly heard a scream – and lost all contact with Russell.
The clip shows her car moving into the right lane. After a while, the footage is bathed in blue light – as police visited the scene where their empty car was found.
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, is seen pulling into the shoulder in her red Mercedes with the turn signals on. She was looking for a toddler she saw walking alone on the Alabama Interstate Highway
Russell, 25, went missing for two days – sparking a frantic search for her. She was found Saturday night after being “dropped off” at her home
After a while, the footage is bathed in blue light – as police visited the scene where their empty car was found
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Russell’s car, as well as her phone, purse, wig and Apple Watch nearby – but Russell and the child she allegedly spotted were nowhere to be seen.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said, “We looked at the video.” It’s not the greatest. “It proves that Carlee’s car was there and we know she wasn’t there when officers responded to the 911 call.”
On Saturday night, officials in Hoover, Alabama, received a call that Russell had returned to her home after she knocked on the door.
Police Chief Nicholas Derzis told the New York Times he wasn’t sure how she got there, but that no one was with Russell when she arrived.
After police and firefighters confirmed it was Russell and examined her at the scene, she was taken to a local hospital.
No further information about her condition was released, according to the WBRC, except that a person familiar with the situation said she was “dropped off” at home.
has reached out to Hoover Police for comment.
Hoover Police had received no further calls about a missing child. A witness said they may have seen a gray vehicle and a man outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but police said they had no further information.
She has now been found after turning up on her doorstep on Saturday night
The 25-year-old was on the phone with her brother’s friend when she went to check on the child before the family member heard a scream and lost contact
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Russell’s car nearby, as well as her cellphone, purse, wig and Apple Watch – however, Russell and the child were nowhere in sight
“And then she heard our daughter, Carlee, scream, and from there all we could hear was noise … background noise on her phone, which we later found out to be noise from the freeway,” said her mother, Talitha Russell (left ).
“At one point she got out of the car and my daughter-in-law could hear her asking the child if he was okay,” her mother, Talitha Russell, said. “The child didn’t answer, or at least didn’t hear their answer, he or she did answer.”
“And then she heard our daughter, Carlee, scream, and from there all we could hear was noise … background noise on her phone, which we later found out to be noise from the freeway.”
Russel left work around 8:20 p.m. Thursday before stopping to pick up food for her and her mother.
She then drove toward Hoover and called 911 at about 9:30 p.m. to report the missing child, who was traveling on Interstate 459.
After Russell called 911, he reportedly called her brother’s friend to let her know she was checking on the child. The family member lost contact with her at around 9:36 p.m., but the line remained busy.
Responding officers found Russell’s abandoned car nearby, along with her cell phone, purse, wig and Apple Watch, but no sign of her or any child.
Lieutenant Daniel Lowe said a witness reported he may have seen a gray vehicle and a man outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but they had no further information.
Described as a black woman measuring 1.70 meters tall and weighing 70 kilograms, Russell was last seen wearing a black shirt, black trousers and white Nike sneakers.
Lowe said police are exploring all avenues to stop the disappearance.
“We’re definitely not ignoring anything,” he said when asked if investigators think she was kidnapped.
“No information is unimportant in this investigation,” Lowe said at a news conference on Friday.
Described as a black woman measuring 5’7″ and weighing 150 pounds, Russell was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers
The Hoover Police Department said it is working with many partners at the local, state and federal levels in the investigation and is “grateful for the tremendous support from local and law enforcement agencies.”
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke to her daughter was around 9:18pm on Thursday, when she left Taziki’s after picking up food and was heading home
Family members also organized a search operation in the area.
“We’re just going to search the earth,” Russell’s father, Carlos Russell, told WVTM. “There’s no stopping us.”
An anonymous donor offered a $20,000 reward for Russell’s safe return, with an additional $5,000 reward available through Crime Stoppers.
The Hoover Police Department said it worked with many local, state and federal partners during the investigation and is “grateful for the tremendous support from the local and law enforcement community.”
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke to her daughter was around 9:18pm on Thursday, when she left Taziki’s after picking up food and was heading home.
“We trust God, we stay positive, we don’t let negative thoughts enter our minds, so we just trust God and believe in God that our daughter will be brought home safely,” Talitha Russell told WSAZ.
Carlee’s wig was left at the scene of her disappearance. Her mother posted a photo of what her daughter looks like with pigtails and no wig
Russell’s parents are asking anyone with information to come forward
“She’s considered helpful and has a big heart,” Talitha Russell said of her daughter.
“And she knows not to be in front of anyone… I think she broke her cover because she thought they were so close. And as she got out of the car, she said to my daughter-in-law, “I can’t just leave this little kid on the side of the road.”
Russell works part-time at Woodhouse Day Spa and attends Jefferson State Community College, where she is studying to be a registered nurse, according to AL.
According to the outlet, she has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from AUM.