*(CNN) — An Alabama woman (Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell) who went missing after telling a 911 dispatcher that she saw a toddler walking alone on the side of an interstate has returned home, authorities said.
Russell, 25, had been missing since Thursday night when she called 911 and told a dispatcher that she saw the child on the side of Interstate 459 South. After the call, Russell stopped her vehicle to check on the toddler and called a family member who lost contact with her, though the line remained open, according to the Hoover Police Department.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Russell’s vehicle and some of her belongings – including her phone – but no sign of her or the child, according to police.
At 10:45 p.m. Saturday, the Hoover 911 center received a call that Russell had returned home, Hoover police said in a Saturday news release.
“Hoover Fire medics responded to the scene to assess Carlee and transported her to a local hospital for evaluation,” the news release states. Police also responded to the scene to investigate, according to the release.
It’s unclear where Russell had been since Thursday and no further details were provided. Additional information “will be provided when it becomes available,” police said.
The police department is “very happy” that Russell has returned home safely, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis told CNN affiliate WBRC.
“We wanted her to come home safe and sound – and we’ll hope that’s what happened here,” he said. “And I couldn’t be more excited, and I hope the community feels the same way.”
“The first thing is to give Carlee and family a little time to get themselves back together,” he said, WRBC reported. “I know it’s been a tough experience for them. When we think it’s time to sit down and have a conversation with Carlee and try to get some facts, we’ll do that.”
News of Russell’s disappearance sparked a frenzied 48-hour search effort across the area, with police offering a reward of $25,000.
Derzis said that at times up to 50 or 60 police officers were working on the case. “There are times you get overwhelmed, the story kept getting bigger and bigger,” he told WBRC.
Hoover, a prominent suburb of Birmingham, is located just south of the city.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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