Carlee Russell is the 26-year-old Alabama woman whose disappearance and apparent kidnapping sparked a manhunt that lasted 49-hours. Earlier this week Russell admitted the entire thing was a hoax which she now claims she carried out by herself. Today, she was charged with two misdemeanors.

The arrest warrant was issued earlier today, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas C. Derzis said in a news conference.

She surrendered to authorities, accompanied by her attorney,at the Hoover City Jail to face two misdemeanor charges: false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident, he said…

“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 using a small child as bait,” Derzis said. “The story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings, some of which even helped organize searches.”

The hoax started on July 13 when Russel made a call to 911 claiming she saw a child walking along the freeway.

On July 13, Russell called 911 to report she saw a small child walking alone along the highway. She said she was driving home from her job in Birmingham, about a 10-mile commute from Hoover.

She then called her sister-in-law, who said she heard Russell scream before losing contact with her, though the line remained open, according to the Hoover Police Department.

When authorities responding to her original 911 call arrived, they found Russell’s vehicle along with her wig, phone, and purse. Neither Russell nor the child were in sight.

Two days later, Russell arrived home. Police were able to interview her and she told a story of being forced into an 18-wheeler by a man with orange hair.

She claimed she had been abducted by a man with orange hair and a bald spot who told her he was checking on the child she had seen, she told police.

She said she was forced into a vehicle after screaming, was blindfolded, and later taken to a house where she was forced to get undressed. Russell also said her abductors took pictures of her, but she did not remember them having any physical or sexual contact with her, she told police.

Russell said after being put back into the vehicle, she was able to escape and ran through the woods before emerging near her home, according to police.

Russell’s dramatic story got a lot of media attention and her parents were featured on the Today show a few days after she turned up at home. They said they could tell she’d been through something traumatic and was fighting for her life.

In an exclusive sit down with @NBCNews, the parents of 25-year-old Carlee Russell, Alabama woman who had been missing for two days, are speaking out. @PriscillaWT shares the details. pic.twitter.com/s6z5e3maO4

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 18, 2023

As the police chief mentioned, one of the people who helped organize a search for Russell was Angela Harris. Harris’ own daughter had disappeared and was found dead in 2019. As you’ll see in this clip, an investigation of Russell’s internet search history turned up some very suspicious results which seemed to suggest this might have been a hoax even before she admitted it.

The woman who spearheaded the search for Carlee Russell is speaking out. When Angela Harris first heard news reports about Russell's disappearance, she felt she had to take action. Her own daughter, Aniah Blanchard, was abducted and murdered 4 years ago. pic.twitter.com/8jQvK85z7c

— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) July 22, 2023

Today, the police chief made it clear that he is as frustrated as many people are that he can only charge Russell with two misdemeanors with a maximum of a year in jail.

Hoover Police Chief announces Carlee Russell's charges and expresses frustration she won't be charged with more. I don't disagree. What do you think? #CarleeRussell
Livestream: @iCkEdMeL https://t.co/ziyqn3xcjj pic.twitter.com/L0sxG2FePx

— Annie Elise x 10 to LIFE (@_10toLIFE) July 28, 2023

This stunt was stupid and cruel. For the moment, police still don’t know why Russell did it or where she really was for the 49-hours she was missing. Whatever the case, someone who could lie to a police 911 operator this shamelessly deserves all the time behind bars she can possibly get.

Listening to this, I’m really confused about what the plan was here. She clearly made up the whole story about the toddler in advance. She must have known police would immediately come looking. What was her plan to account for the child not being there? Did she plan to claim the toddler was abducted and then decide to up the ante by disappearing herself or was that always the plan? Where did she spend the next two nights? Did she actually lie to her parents when she returned? When did they learn she was lying?

Jussie Smollett’s plan was terrible in its details (White MAGA supporters walking around Chicago in the middle of the night? Putting a literal noose around his neck?). Still, you can sort of see how the the idea to make himself into a racial martyr and a victim could have worked. In fact, it did work initially and only fell apart later thanks to thousands of hours of police work.

But what did Carlee Russell hope to get out of this? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.