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Oct 3, 2023 · Charlotte Sena, 9, disappeared on Saturday while riding her bicycle in New York state, triggering a huge 48-hour search by hundreds of people.
- Overview
- What happened to Charlotte Sena
- Missing girl found
Craig Nelson Ross Jr., the suspect in the case of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena who went missing while on a bike ride in Upstate New York, has been charged with kidnapping, according to officials.
Law enforcement officials are now piecing together details of her alleged abduction, including a possible motive and any prior connection between Ross and the girl's family.
The girl went on a bike ride with friends around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday in Moreau Lake State Park, north of Albany. She took one last loop alone and didn't to return, prompting her parents to begin looking for her around 6:30.
Concern heightened when her bicycle was discovered on a trail at approximately 6:45 p.m., leading to a 911 call. New York State Police arrived on the scene by 7 p.m., and an Amber Alert was issued on Sunday, shortly after 9:30 a.m.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the suspect left behind a crucial piece of evidence.
"He literally drove up to the family's mailbox, assuming they were not home, at 4:20 in the morning. He opened the mailbox and inserted a ransom note, leaving a critical piece of evidence behind — his own fingerprint," Hochul said at a press conference Monday.
Around 2:30 p.m., investigators matched a fingerprint from the note to Ross, whose prints were on file in the state's database.
Authorities discovered Ross in a camper behind his mother's residence in Milton, New York. Hochul said the girl was found hidden in a cabinet cupboard on the premises.
"She knew she was being rescued. She knew she was in safe hands," Hochul said.
"We are thrilled that she is home and we understand that the outcome is not what every family gets," the girl's family said in a statement. "A huge thank you to the FBI, the New York State Police, all of the agencies that were mobilized, all of the families, friends, community, neighbors and hundreds of volunteers who supported us and worked tirelessly to bring Charlotte home."
Oct 1, 2023 · More than 100 people, bloodhounds and drones are part of the massive search for 9-year-old Charlotte Sena, who was last seen more than a day ago in upstate New York, authorities said.
- Maura Zurick
Oct 2, 2023 · A missing 9-year-old girl was found alive Monday after a frantic two-day search that ensued amid reports that she was abducted from a campground in Upstate New York.
Oct 2, 2023 · Charlotte Sena, the 9-year-old girl who went missing last weekend while on a bike ride at an upstate New York park, has been found, police announced Monday evening.
Oct 4, 2023 · Officials say a fingerprint on a ransom note led police to the kidnapping suspect’s camper where 9-year-old Charlotte Sena was found hidden in a cabinet, ending a two-day search after the girl disappeared during a family camping trip in northern New York.
Oct 1, 2023 · A 9-year-old girl went missing during a bike ride while camping at New York’s Moreau Lake State Park with her family — and police scoured the area for 18 hours before issuing an Amber...
