Carlee Russell: Alabama woman who faked kidnapping charged

An Alabama woman who admitted to faking her own kidnapping has been charged over the hoax.

Carlee Russell, 25, faces two misdemeanours: one of false reporting to law enforcement and another of falsely reporting an incident.

The nursing student called police on 13 July claiming she saw a toddler in a nappy walking along a motorway.

She returned home on 15 July, claiming she had been abducted by a man with orange hair and a woman.

Last Monday she admitted in a statement issued through her lawyer that she had fabricated the whole story.

At a news conference on Friday, the Hoover Police Department said Ms Russell had turned herself in that day and was released on $2,000 (£1,555) bail.

"Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose," Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said.

He added that her story "opened wounds" for those whose loved ones were real victims of kidnappings.

The police chief said he shares the community's "frustration" that she is not facing more serious charges.

"I know many are shocked and appalled that Miss Russell is only being charged with two misdemeanours, despite all the panic and disruption her actions caused," he said.

He also called on state lawmakers to revise the criminal code to add an "enhancement" charge for false reporting of a kidnapping or other violent crime.

In the 13 July 911 call, Ms Russell claimed she had stopped driving when she saw a toddler walking on the side of the interstate.

After that, she said, a man emerged from the trees, blindfolded her, drove her in a truck and held her captive at a tractor trailer where she was fed cheese crackers, investigators said last week.

She claimed she was kidnapped for 49 hours, and eventually managed to escape by running through the woods to her home, according to police.

On Monday, police read a statement from Ms Russell's attorney, Emory Anthony, saying she was not abducted, nor did she see a baby on the side of the road.

She said Ms Russell did not leave the city during the hours of the alleged abduction.

The statement added that Ms Russell had "made a mistake" and was trying to "address her issues".

She could face up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine if found guilty, Mr Derzis said.

Local prosecutors have handed over the case to the state attorney general due to the level of attention it has received.

"We don't see this as a victimless crime," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said, adding that his office intends to "fully prosecute" Ms Russell.