Man accused of kidnapping 9-year-old at N.Y. campsite allegedly left ransom note in her family’s mailbox
10/05/2023 12:25 pm PDT
SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. (TCD) -- Law enforcement officials identified the man accused of kidnapping 9-year-old Charlotte Sena from a campsite over the weekend and revealed he was caught after leaving a fingerprint on a ransom note.
Charlotte went missing Saturday, Sept. 30, while riding her bike at Moreau Lake State Park. New York State Police and several other agencies descended on the park and searched for her, which ultimately led to State Police issuing an Amber Alert. The AWARE Foundation tweeted Charlotte was "taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."
She was found “safe and in good health” on the evening of Oct. 2.
Now, new information is coming out about the girl’s suspected abductor and how investigators located him.
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, on Monday, Oct. 2, at 4:20 a.m., a car pulled up to Charlotte’s family’s home, which was being guarded by New York State Police. Her parents were already at the campsite searching for their daughter. The car drove up to the mailbox, a man dropped something off, then left. State Police went to the mailbox and reportedly found a ransom note.
Investigators began searching for a match on the fingerprint left on the note but came up empty. They input the print in a database for the entire state of New York, which yielded a positive match for 46-year-old Craig Ross because he had a DWI in Saratoga in 1999.
Officials located his residence and found his mother inside. Hochul said Ross lived in a camper behind the home, so officials went into the mobile home using a tactical maneuver called a dynamic entry. Police took Ross into custody and discovered Charlotte in a cabinet.
According to New York State Police, Ross was arraigned at Milton Town Court and was booked in the Saratoga County Correctional Facility, where he is being held without bail. He is charged with first-degree kidnapping, but State Police said he will likely face additional charges.
Hochul called Charlotte’s rescue "a very good day."
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