An Alabama woman went missing after alerting the 911 operator that she saw a toddler walking alone on the side of the interstate, according to local police.
The woman, 25-year-old Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, called 911 at around 9:34 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to a Facebook post from the Hoover Police Department.
Russell notified the operator that he saw a toddler walking on the side of I-459 South. After calling 911, she stopped to check on the child and called a family member she had lost contact with, although the line remained open, according to the Facebook post.
When officers, who had been on their way from the initial 911 call, arrived on the scene, they found Russell's vehicle and some of his belongings, including his phone, but no sign of him or his child. Police have yet to receive a report or summons for the missing child, according to a Facebook post.
In a press conference on Friday, police said the case remained open and active and a bounty of up to $25,000 had been offered.
Russell's mother, Talitha Russell, told CNN affiliate WBRC that she is working to stay positive during the search for her daughter.
“We trust God, we stay positive, we don't let negative thoughts enter our minds,” he told WBRC. “So all we did was trust God, trust God that our daughter would be brought home safely.”
Russell is 5 feet 4 inches tall and was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pants and white Nikes, according to a Hoover police Facebook post. Police are urging anyone who may have seen Russell or who has information about the case to contact the department.
Hoover, Alabama's sixth largest city, is located about 10 miles south of Birmingham.
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