Topline Nine-year-old Charlotte Sena, who was believed to have been abducted at a campsite in Moreau Lake State Park, New York, was found “safe and in good health” on Monday, police authorities said.
This photo provided by her family, shows Charlotte Sena who was rescued from her abductor by … [+] authorities on Monday.
Associated Press Key Facts In a press conference late on Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sena—who went missing on Saturday—was rescued by authorities after police managed to track her suspected abductor, who is now in custody.
While Sena’s family stayed at the campsite where she went missing, police saw someone drop a ransom note at their mailbox in the early hours of Monday.
Police managed to pull fingerprints from the note, which matched the prints of a 47-year-old man named Craig Nelson Ross, Jr.
Law enforcement found Ross in a camper located at a property owned by his mother and Sena was found inside a cabinet, Hochul said.
Ross was taken into custody by authorities “after some resistance,” although charges against him are yet to be filed.
Crucial Quote Hochul wrote on X: “Law enforcement teams were relentless in finding this little girl — putting the pieces together and leaving no cabin unturned — to bring Charlotte home to her parents. Charlotte is safe and her abductor is behind bars tonight.”
Key Background Sena went missing around 6: 15 p.m. on Saturday evening while she was riding her bike in Moreau Lake State Park in New York, where she was camping with her family. Her bike was discovered at the site around 30 minutes later. Her parents said they “knew immediately something was up” after she failed to return, which triggered a search. An Amber Alert on Sunday after police said they believed “a possible abduction had taken place.” At the press conference Hochul said, concerns about the nine-year-old grew as time went on, adding: “When you hit that 48 hour moment, you realize it’s going to be tough and you start thinking the worst.” She also noted that Ross’ prints were in the law enforcement system due to a DWI arrest in 1999.
Further Reading 9-Year-Old Girl Missing For Third Day After Likely Abduction From N.Y. Campground—Here’s What To Know (Forbes)