Charlotte Sena, a missing nine-year-old girl who was found in a cabinet, was located due to fingerprints collected from her alleged kidnapper in 1999.
Sena disappeared while on a solo bike ride around Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County on the evening of Saturday, September 30, 2023. She was staying at the park with her family and friends at the time, per the Independent.
Sena's parents reported her missing when they discovered her abandoned bike at the campsite at around 6:45PM, with no sign of their daughter nearby. Within fifteen minutes of the report, police officers arrived at the scene, launching a frantic search effort.
The missing girl, described as a white female with long blonde hair, standing approximately 5'1, and weighing about 90 pounds, was last seen wearing an orange tie-dyed Pokemon shirt, dark blue trousers, black Crocs, and a grey bike helmet.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul provided details about the sequence of events during a news conference on Sunday, October 1.
She said: "Last evening, she went out on a bike ride; it wasn't dark, right around dinnertime, and did a couple of loops with close friends she considers her cousins. And then she decided after going around True Bay, she said she just wanted to go around one more time by herself - be that big girl, do it by herself. Literally 15 minutes later, she hadn't come back yet... And that's really when the nightmare begins."
A massive multi-agency search and rescue operation was initiated, involving aviation, canine teams, and civilian support. An Amber Alert was also issued to aid in the search efforts, which continued throughout the night and into the following day.
Lt. Col Richard Mazzone of the NYSP stated: "In addition to our massive search efforts, our Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been conducting interviews with those in the park and around the region as well as pursuing all investigative leads."
On Monday night, almost 48 hours after her disappearance, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered the long-awaited news that Sena had been found safe. Authorities had taken into custody a suspect identified as 47-year-old Craig Nelson Ross Jr.
Hochul revealed that fingerprints gained in 1999 led to the arrest and subsequent finding of Sena, after they matched to a print found on the ransom note left for her parents after her abduction.
She said, as cited by People: "State police worked diligently trying to find a match for a fingerprint. The hit came at 2:30 in the afternoon. There had been a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) in 1999 in the city of Saratoga. A fingerprint was found that matched what was found on the ransom note."
It was through this fingerprint that police were able to trace the suspect to a home owned by his mother, and he was located in a campervan behind the building.
"After some resistance, the suspect was taken into custody and immediately the little girl was found in a cabinet, covered and she was rescued," Hochul continued.
The governor emphasized that Sena appeared to be in "good health" and "outwardly physically unharmed" at the time. However, she acknowledged that the ordeal had been deeply traumatic for the young girl and her family.
It remains unclear whether the suspect had any prior connection to the Sena family or if he had specifically targeted the young girl.
Hochul commended the "tireless" efforts of the authorities, stating: "We are overjoyed at the news that Charlotte Sena has been located safely this evening after an intense days-long search. Our hearts are with her family as they welcome her home."
There are currently no charges filed against Ross Jr. but this is expected the change in the near future.
