HOOVER, Alabama — Carlee Russell, the Alabama nursing student who claimed she was kidnapped for 49 hours in a stunt that later confessed that it was a liewas charged with two misdemeanors in connection with the deception, police announced Friday.
The arrest warrant was issued earlier today, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas C. Derzis said at a news conference.
She turned herself in to authorities, accompanied by her attorney, at Hoover City Jail to face two misdemeanor counts: false reporting to law enforcement and false reporting of an incident, she said.
The charges carry a $1,000 bail each and are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine if convicted, the chief said. Russell was released from jail after posting bail.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm among the citizens of our city and even across the country as concerns grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a young child as bait,” Derzis said. “The story opened wounds for the families whose loved ones some were actually kidnapped, some of whom even helped organize searches.”
Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The news comes four days after Russell confessed that everything was made up in a statement from his attorney, read Monday by Hoover Police Chief Nicholas C. Derzis.
“There was no abduction on Thursday, July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person,” the statement from her, shared by her, the attorney said. “My client had no help in this incident. This was a one-time act done by herself.”
Russell’s disappearance captured the nation’s attention. He disappeared after calling 911 on July 13, claiming he saw a toddler in diapers wandering off the side of Interstate 459 South.
The 25-year-old returned home on foot on July 15 and told police a story that claimed she was kidnapped, kidnapped by an orange-haired man and a woman.
This was the lie that sparked a huge national search operation, according to his own lawyer. To see more from Telemundo, visit
She claimed that she was forced into an 18-wheeler and taken to a house where a man and a woman told her to undress and then took photos of her.
At a July 19 press conference, police said they were only able to have a preliminary interview with Russell and were waiting to complete a more in-depth interview to determine her whereabouts during the time she was missing.
Derzis said investigators were unable to substantiate many of his claims.
However, he said that during the course of the investigation, officials found internet searches on your phone about how to pay for Amber Alertshow to get money from a cash register without getting caught and about the movie “Taken”.
In her statement Monday, Russell apologized to members of her community and law enforcement who rallied to find her when she went missing.
“My client apologizes for her actions to this community, to the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well,” her statement read.
His confession comes after his parents appeared on the show “TODAY” from NBC saying that her daughter had been kidnapped.
Russell’s ex-boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, posted on Facebook after she returned home, thanking the community for their support and alluding to her being kidnapped.
In a new post on Monday, he wrote: “I feel exactly the same as all of you. Shocked with Carlee’s actions.”
“My nature and that of my family was to react with love and genuine concern. We are disgusted by the outcome of this whole situation,” she added.
This story first appeared in nbcnews.com.
