After a three-day search, 9-year-old Charlotte Sena, who was kidnapped from Moreau Lake State Park in upstate New York, has been found safe. Craig N. Ross Jr., a 47-year-old man, has been charged with first-degree kidnapping and is being held without bail. The breakthrough in the case came when a car pulled up to the Sena family’s home, and a ransom note was left in the mailbox, bearing the suspect’s fingerprint. Authorities were able to link the note to Ross through a fingerprint found during a DUI arrest in 1999. The State Police Special Operations Response Team and an FBI Regional SWAT team were able to locate Ross in a camper behind his mother’s residence, where they found Charlotte in a small closet space. She was in good health but was not dressed in the same clothes as when she went missing.
Investigators are still working to determine if Ross had any connection to Charlotte’s family. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are expected. The Sena family expressed their gratitude to law enforcement and volunteers who helped in the search for their daughter. Ross has been appointed a public defender, and his next court appearance is scheduled for October 17. Authorities continue to execute search warrants and are actively looking into any potential connections Ross may have to other cases.