The 9-year-old girl who vanished from an upstate New York park was found hiding in the cabinet of a camper on Monday after the man accused of kidnapping her left a ransom note bearing his fingerprints at her parent’s home, officials said.
Charlotte Sena is “in good health” after she went missing during a bike ride while camping with her family at Moreau Lake State Park Saturday, NY State Police said.
The suspect, identified as 47-year-old Craig Ross Jr., allegedly left a note at Charlotte’s family’s home – possibly demanding some type of ransom in connection to her alleged abduction.
Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN host Anderson Cooper Monday night that investigators were able to track down the suspect through fingerprints left on the ransom note.
“There was a ransom note and that was instrumental in leading us directly to the suspect,” Hochul said. “His fingerprint was already in the database.”
Angus Mordant
State police confirmed that during the investigation, they identified an “individual” who was in the park around the time Sena went missing.
When investigators searched multiple homes tied to that person, they located Sena around 6:30 p.m. Monday and took a suspect into custody, authorities said.
Sources told the Albany Times Union that Sena is believed to have been found in a trailer next to a house in Milton, where one of the suspect’s relatives lives.
New York State Police
NY Post illustration
State police had conducted an extensive 18-hour search of the park along with FBI agents and 34 volunteer fire departments using police dogs, drones, boats and underwater teams but found no sign of the young girl who was last seen around 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Authorities activated an AMBER Alert “for a child abduction” with Charlotte’s photo and information on Sunday morning.
The alert noted that “the child was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death.”
By Monday afternoon, State Police Lt. Col. Richard Mazzone said investigators did not believe Charlotte, who is from Greenfield, was still in the park.