New footage has shown the eerie moment that an Alabama woman slowly pulled over on the highway after seeing a child walking on their own – before she vanished.
Carlethia ‘Carlee’ Nichole Russell, 25, is seen moving into the shoulder lane in her red Mercedes with the flashers on. She was checking on a toddler who she saw wandering alone along the Alabama interstate 459 highway.
Russell vanished for two days – causing a frantic search for her. She was found alive on Saturday night after being ‘dropped off’ at her house.
As she pulled over on the night she disappeared, she was on the phone with her sister-in-law. She told her over the phone that she was getting out her car to check up on the child.
The family member then heard a sudden scream and shortly after, lost all contact with Russell.
In the clip, her car is seen moving to the right lane. After a while, the footage is lit up in blue lights – as police attended the scene where her empty car was found.
Carlethia ‘Carlee’ Nichole Russell, 25, is seen moving into the shoulder lane in her red Mercedes with the flashers on. She was checking on a toddler who she saw wandering alone along the Alabama interstate highway
Russell, 25, vanished for two days – causing a frantic search for her. She was found on Saturday night after being ‘dropped off’ at her house
After a while, the footage is lit up in blue lights – as police attended the scene where her empty car was found
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell’s car, along with her cell phone, purse, wig and apple watch in the nearby area – but Russell and the child she claimed to have spotted were nowhere to be seen.
On Saturday night, officials in Hoover, Alabama received a phone call that Russell had returned to her home after knocking on the door.
Police Chief Nicholas Derzis told the New York Times he’s not sure how she got there, but nobody was with Russell on her arrival.
After police and fire officials confirmed it was Russell and evaluated her at the scene, she was taken to a local hospital.
No further information about her condition has been made public other than one person familiar with the situation said she’d been ‘dropped off’ at home, according to WBRC.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Hoover Police Department for comment.
Hoover Police had not received any other calls of a missing child. One witness reported possibly seeing a gray vehicle and a man standing outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but police said they had no additional information.
She has now been found, after turning up at her doorstep on Saturday night
The 25-year-old was on the phone with her sister-in-law when she went to check up on the child before the family member heard a scream and lost contact
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell’s car, along with her cell phone, purse, wig and apple watch in the nearby area – but Russell and the child were nowhere to be seen
‘And then she heard our daughter Carlee scream, and from there on all we could hear was noise … background noise in her phone, which we later found out was noise from the interstate,’ her mother, Talitha Russell (left), said
‘In the process at some point she got out of the car and my daughter-in-law could hear her asking the child if they were okay,’ her mother, Talitha Russell, said. ‘The child did not respond, or at least she did not hear her respond, he or she respond.’
‘And then she heard our daughter Carlee scream, and from there on all we could hear was noise … background noise in her phone, which we later found out was noise from the interstate.’
Russel left work around 8:20 PM on Thursday before stopping to pick up food for her and her mom.
She then travelled toward Hoover and called 911 at about 9:30 PM to report the missing child wandering on the side of Interstate 459.
After calling 911, Russell reportedly called her sister-in-law to tell her she was going to check up on the child. The family member lost contact with her at about 9:36 pm but the line remained open.
Responding officers located Russell’s abandoned car along with her cell phone, her purse, wig and apple watch in the nearby area, but no sign of her or a child.
Lt. Daniel Lowe said said one witness reported possibly seeing a gray vehicle and a man standing outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but they have no additional information.
Russell was described as a 5-foot-4, 150 pound black female and was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers.
Lowe said police are pursing all possibilities in the disappearance.
‘We’re certainly leaving nothing off the table,’ he said when asked if investigators believe she was abducted.
‘No piece of information is too small in this investigation,’ Lowe said in a presser Friday.
Russell is described as a 5-foot-4, 150 pound black female and was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers
The Hoover Police Department said they are partnering with many local, state and federal partners in the investigation and are ‘grateful for the outpouring of support from the local and law enforcement community’
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke with her daughter was around 9:18 p.m. Thursday when she left Taziki’s after picking up food and was headed home
Family members also organized a search in the area.
‘We’re just gonna scour the earth,’ Russell’s dad, Carlos Russell, told WVTM. ‘There’s no stopping us.’
An anonymous donor offered a $20,000 reward for Russell’s safe return and another $5,000 reward is available through Crime Stoppers.
The Hoover Police Department said they were partnering with many local, state and federal partners in the investigation and are ‘grateful for the outpouring of support from the local and law enforcement community.’
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke with her daughter was around 9:18 p.m. Thursday when she left Taziki’s after picking up food and was headed home.
‘We are trusting God, we are staying positive, we are not allowing any negative thoughts to enter our minds so all that we are doing is trusting God, believe in God that our daughter will be brought home safely,’ Talitha Russell said to WSAZ.
Carlee’s wig was left at the scene of her disappearance. Her mother posted a photo of what her daughter looks like in braids without her wig
Russell’s parents are begging anyone with information to come forward
‘She’s known to be helpful and she has a big heart,’ Talitha Russell said of her daughter.
‘And she does know not to stop for anyone … I think she kind of let her guard down thinking they were so close. And when she got out the car, she did tell my daughter-in-law, ‘I can’t just leave this little child on the side of the road.’
Russell works part time at The Woodhouse Day Spa and attends Jefferson State Community College, according to AL, where she is studying to become a registered nurse.
She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from AUM, according to the outlet.
