MOREAU, N.Y. (1010 WINS/AP) — A suspect was charged early Tuesday in the abduction of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena, who vanished from an upstate New York park campground Saturday evening before she was found in the suspect's camper Monday, authorities said.
Craig Nelson Ross Jr., 47, underwent questioning Monday and was then arraigned before 4 a.m. Tuesday on a first-degree kidnapping charge in Milton Town Court. He was being held at the Saratoga County Jail without bail.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday night during a news conference that investigators were able to identify a fingerprint from a ransom note allegedly left by Ross.
“What happened was extraordinary,” she said.
While the rest of Charlotte's family remained at the Moreau Lake State Park campground where she had gone missing, police watching their home saw someone drop a note in their mailbox at 4:20 a.m. Monday, according to the governor.
State police pulled fingerprints off the note and the second one matched Ross, who was in a New York State database from a 1999 DWI case, Hochul said. The hit was made at 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Law enforcement agents linked Ross to a property owned by his mother, made entry and found him in a camper at about 6:30 p.m., she said.
“They found a double wide house with a woman, the suspect's mother,” Hochul said. “The suspect lived in the camper behind. They have what they call a dynamic entry, a tactical maneuver, and within the camper, they located the suspect.”
“After some resistance, the suspect was taken into custody and immediately the little girl was found in a cabinet, cupboard,” the governor continued. “She knew she was being rescued. She knew that she was in safe hands.”
Charlotte was taken to a local hospital, as is customary, Hochul said, adding that she appeared physically unharmed and that she and her family have been reunited.
"It's still pretty overwhelming because all of us feared the worst," Hochul said. "But I promise you, Trisha and David, they will be reunited with little Charlotte once again, and she'll see her two sisters, one 10, one four years old."
The rescue marked the end of an intense search. About 400 people took part in the hunt for the girl Monday, including forest rangers, police officers and firefighters. The search had expanded over 46 linear miles.
Charlotte, a fourth grader from nearby Greenfield, had been riding her bike around a campsite loop in the park with other children when she decided to ride around one more time by herself. Her parents became alarmed when she failed to return after 15 minutes, Hochul said at a briefing Sunday.
The girl’s mother called 911 after her bicycle was found at around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
Officials issued an Amber Alert on Sunday morning after an exhaustive search because “it was quite possible that an abduction had taken place,” state police Lt. Colonel Richard Mazzone said.
The girl’s family pleaded with the public for help in finding Charlotte, including providing any tips to the state police.
“We just want her returned safely like any parent would,” the family said in a statement earlier Monday. “No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all.”
Troopers had set up several checkpoints on the winding, rural roads around the park. They stopped drivers and asked if they knew the family, had seen the girl’s photo or had any other information that could help the search. They also had some drivers open their trunks.
The park remained closed because of the search, and officials asked members of the public who showed up hoping to help to stay away and leave the search to professionals. Federal authorities also issued a temporary flight restriction over the park for the safety of law enforcement air operations.
The Corinth Central School District said it had extra counselors at Charlotte’s elementary school for any students or staff who need support.
“Our hearts go out to the Sena family,” the district said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.