Carlee Russell Jailed After Confessing That She Lied About Kidnapping

On Friday, authorities announced that they have pressed criminal charges against Carlee Rusell. This comes after she admitted to making up an abduction story. She was also deceptive about seeing a toddler walking on the highway, alone.

Russell is facing charges of misdemeanor false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident.

The Hoover, Alabama, police department’s police chief noted that Carlee turned herself in to jail on Friday and was released on bond.

“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose, using a small child as bait,” stated Police Chief Nick Derzis.

On July 13, Russell had dialed 911 to report that she saw a toddler on the side of an interstate. She showed up at her home two days following that. Then, she told authorities that she had been kidnapped and forced to go inside of a car.

Her lawyer later said that Russell was not abducted. He also said there was never a baby walking alone on the highway. He added that she was requesting prayers and forgiveness.

Russell had told investigators that she was taken by a man who had come out of the trees as she tried to help the child. She said that the man put her inside of an 18-wheeler, covered up her eyes, and held her captive at a residence. There, she claimed that a woman fed her cheese crackers.

Russell said that eventually she was placed in a car, again, but was able to free herself before running through the woods to her neighborhood.