Craig Ross Jr, upstate NY man arrested in abduction of Charlotte Sena, 9 year old girl, found alive and safe at a Milton home after leaving ransom note at girl’s parents house. Girl found covered up and hidden in cabinet. Suspect has prior criminal history.
A happy ending. This time. A man has been arrested over the abduction of a nine-year-old girl who vanished while riding a bike in an upstate New York park while camping with her family over the weekend.
Charlotte Sena, nine, was found ‘alive and safe’ on Monday – two days after she vanished from Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort.
Craig Ross Jr, 46, was identified as the suspect in custody. The man was arrested after cops raiding a home belonging to his mother today at Barrett Road in Milton, Saratoga County, New York, according to a release.
Suspect’s is through DNA and fingerprints
Police found Charlotte covered up and hidden in a cabinet on Monday afternoon, Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed at a press conference.
After the girl vanished, the suspect allegedly left a ransom note at Charlotte’s parents, David and Trisha Sena‘s home covered in his DNA and fingerprints – which investigators then used to arrest him.
It’s understood that schoolgirl Charlotte was found in a trailer at a property owned on Barrett Road. The child was found hidden and covered in a cabinet. She was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital after being found.
According to the Times Union, the investigation is focused on the belief that Charlotte was pulled into a vehicle against her will or dragged into the woods.
Police said just after 7pm: ‘Charlotte has been found safe and in good health.’
New York State Police were previously confident Charlotte was abducted from Moreau Lake State Park. She was last seen wearing a tie-dye Pokemon shirt, dark blue pants, black crocs, gray bike helmet on Saturday evening.
Previous criminal history
Police raided a house in Milton, New York, on Monday evening, shortly before police announced the arrest. The residence is where the suspect lives – and the girl may have been found in a ‘trailer on the property,’ the Union reported.
Of note, the property is 13 miles south of Charlotte Sena’s family home in Greenfield.
It is thought that the suspect has a prior criminal record.
A regard of public records revealed a Craig N. Ross of Corinth being arrested in 2016 for second-degree aggravated harassment, according to the Saratogian.
In 2017, the Saratogan lists another accusation against Craig N. Ross: ‘Obstruction: Craig N. Ross, 40, of Corinth was arrested April 21 and charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor.’
The multi-agency search – which spanned 46 miles and included 400 search personnel and dozens of federal, state, and local bodies on the ground – ended today.
Charlotte Sena’s family celebrating her being found ALIVE after 48 hours!!! #missing #MoreauLakeStatePark @nyspolice @NBCNightlyNews @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/QRfRRAmXRn
— Kristen Dahlgren (@kristendahlgren) October 2, 2023
No known motive
Charlotte was cycling alone on Loop A of Moreau Lake State Park in New York near Saratoga Springs when she vanished at 6.15pm on Saturday.
She had been playing with friends throughout the day but decided to cycle alone, one last time, before sunset.
It should have only taken a few minutes for to complete the small loop. At 6.30pm, her parents realized she hadn’t returned and grew worried. By 6.47pm, they had found Charlotte’s bike on the loop and called 911.
A frantic search was launched for the child, for whom an Amber Alert was issued on Sunday morning after rangers searched the 6,250-acre park and found no sign of her.
There are 158 camping sites in the park. Loop A sits in the southwest corner of the park and is directly adjacent to US Highway 9 – which runs all the way from Philadelphia to Canada.
Authorities to date did not state what motivated the suspect in abducting Charlotte Sena.
