Family 'thrilled' Charlotte Sena is home after suspect charged for her abduction

03 October 2023 , 15:45

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Charlotte was riding her bike alone when she was abducted (Image: AP)

The family of a nine-year-old girl who was abducted in New York State have shared their relief after a suspect was arraigned in connection with the kidnapping.

Charlotte Sena was abducted from a park in on Saturday (September 30), before she was found alive, hiding in a trailer two days later on Monday. "We are thrilled that she is home and we understand that the outcome is not what every family gets," said Charlotte’s aunt Jené Sena in a statement.

"A huge thank you to the FBI, the , all of the multiple agencies that were mobilised, all of the families, friends, and hundreds of volunteers for assisting in her safe return," she continued.

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Craig Nelson Ross Jr, 46, was arrested and arraigned on charge of first-degree kidnapping in Milton Town Court overnight and put behind bars in Saratoga County jail without bail. have confirmed that Mr Ross is expected to face further charges, with his next court date set for October 17, NBC News reported.

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The suspect's fingerprints lead to this property (Google Maps)

Charlotte was found in the above trailer (Google Maps)

Charlotte was riding her bike alone in Moreau Lake State Park on Saturday night while she was camping with her family, and was last seen at 6.15pm according to police. She had been cycling with family friends before she did a loop of the park by herself - and failed to return to the family’s campsite.

Her bike was found on the loop before an Amber Alert was activated on Sunday, with over 400 search and rescue personnel searching for her on Monday. She was eventually found in “good health”, hiding in a cupboard in the trailer at 6.32pm on Monday.

Police said investigators heard of a known person “in the area” of the park around the time Charlotte went missing, leading to a search of all the places the person was known to stay. Kathy Hochul, New York Governor, said officials found the suspect after he dropped a ransom note at Sena’s parents’ home on Monday morning - with a fingerprint matching a driving-while-intoxicated arrest dated all the way back to 1999.

Charlotte's family celebrated when she was found safe and alive

“He literally drove up to the family’s mailbox ... at 4:20 in the morning” to drop off the note, Ms Hochul said. With the fingerprint leading to a nearby RV trailer where the suspect stays with his mother, the suspect was found and arrested on Monday evening.

Two SWAT teams made a “dynamic” entry into the RV and detained the suspect - who suffered minor injuries as he resisted arrest. There has been no confirmation whether Mr Ross and the Sena family knew each other.

Alex Croft