Alabama woman Carlee Russell, who stopped to help toddler on highway, was kidnapped and fought for her life, boyfriend says
The boyfriend of an Alabama woman who mysteriously turned up home two days after vanishing when she stopped to help a toddler in the middle of a busy highway says she was kidnapped and spent the time “fighting for her life.”
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, was reported safe at home on Saturday night following a two-day search prompted by her screams over the phone when she pulled over to assist a child wandering on I-459, police said.
Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, claims the good Samaritan was kidnapped and is recovering after having gone through the awful ordeal.
“She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again, she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment,” Simmons wrote on Facebook Sunday.
His post echoes what Russell’s parents alleged earlier Sunday, that the child their daughter tried to help was actually used as “bait” to lure her out of her car and kidnap her.
Simmons thanked everyone who helped to search for Russell across Hoover, Alabama, and said he was grateful the story gained awareness on social media.
“I have been going nonstop since I received the call that she was missing on Thursday night. I know she would’ve done the same for me, so I wasn’t going to give up until I saw her face again,” he wrote.
“I just want to thank all of my family, friends, former teammates, & church members who called or texted me just to let me know that they’re praying & here for me; you guys don’t know how much that meant to me,” he added.
Simmons did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
What to know about Carlee Russell's disappearance
Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, 25, was reported missing on Thursday night after stopping to help a toddler she had spotted wandering along a busy highway.
The nursing student called 911 and was talking with a family member as she pulled off I-459 to check on the child when the line mysteriously went silent — but remained open, according to Hoover police.
When officers arrived just minutes later, they found Russell’s running car, cellphone and purse — but no sign of her or the child.
A witness told police they saw a gray vehicle parked near the scene and saw a “light-complexioned male” standing outside Russell’s car, according to Lowe.
Traffic camera footage from Interstate 459 at mile marker 11.7 is believed to show Russell’s car pulling over before she vanished.
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Approximately 48 hours later, Russell reappeared as mysteriously as she had vanished, returning to her home in Hoover, Ala., before 10:45 p.m., the Hoover Police Department confirmed to WBRC.
Russell was dropped off at the residence and “appeared to be in shock.” She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Her parents believe the toddler whom Russell spotted on the side of the road, who was estimated to be 3 to 4 years old, may have been used as “bait” to lure her out of her car.
Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, claims his girlfriend was kidnapped and is recovering from the traumatic experience.
Hoover police plan to respect Russell’s recovery time before interviewing her.
It remains unclear where Russell had been since Thursday.
The nursing student was dropped off at her home in Hoover on Saturday and “appeared to be in shock,” police said.
She was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, and police said they were going to give her time to recover before interviewing her.
When officers arrived at the location off I-459 where Russell had reported the wandering toddler around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, they found her vehicle and some of her belongings, including her phone, but not her or the child, cops said.
