An Alabama woman is missing after she called 911 and a relative to report a young child was walking on an interstate highway Thursday, Hoover police said.
Police found Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell’s vehicle and some of her belongings, but neither she nor any children after calls to 911 and the family member shortly after 9:30 p.m. Thursday, police said. .
“A single witness reported possibly seeing a gray vehicle with a light-complexioned male standing outside of Carlee’s vehicle, but we have no further information on that individual or the vehicle at this time,” Lowe said.
The police asked for clues about the case. Russell left work in Birmingham around 8:20 p.m. and stopped to pick up some food before making the call about the boy, police said.
A donor who wishes to remain anonymous also offered a $20,000 reward, and Crime Stoppers offered a $5,000 reward, Lowe said.
“We are currently investigating all possibilities in this case,” he said. “We certainly won’t be leaving anything off the table.”
Russell called and reported seeing a young child walking on I-459 South and stopped at Mile Marker 11, police said.
Hoover is a city of around 92,000 in the Birmingham area, south of the city.
Police also found Russell’s cell phone at the scene and investigators are looking at it, Lowe said.
Russell is black, is about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs between 150 and 160 pounds, police said. He was wearing a black shirt, black pants, and white Nike sneakers.
Russell’s family also appealed to the public for help.
“We’re just going to scour the land,” said Russell’s father, Carlos Russell, Birmingham’s NBC affiliate WVTM reported. “There is nothing stopping us.”
