The Alabama woman who lied about being kidnapped after spotting a toddler on the side of a highway was arrested for the hoax last week.
Carlee Russell, the woman who made national headlines after “disappearing” after helping the child, later admitted that she had fabricated the entire story.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city, and even across the nation, as the concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose, using a small child as bait,” said Derzis.
“Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tirelessly, not only to bring Carlee home to her family but locate her kidnapper, that we know now never existed. Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy in looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we know now was never in any danger,” he continued.
From The Blaze:
Derzis said that Russell was charged with falsely reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. Both are misdemeanors that carry a sentence of up to one year in jail and a potential fine of $6,000 upon conviction.
