SARATOGA COUNTY — Nine-year-old Charlotte Sena, who went missing Sept. 30 while on a bike ride in Moreau Lake State Park, was located safe and in good health by state police shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 2.
Craig N. Ross Jr., of Ballston Spa, was charged with kidnapping in the first degree, a felony, on the suspicion of abducting the girl. Ross, 46, was taken into custody, arraigned at Milton Town Court and sent to Saratoga County Correctional Facility without bail. Additional charges are anticipated.
The Oct. 2 arrest followed the issue of an AMBER alert on Oct. 1, and an investigative “search of multiple residences where (Ross) is known to reside,” authorities said.
“When you hit that 48-hour moment, you realize it’s going to be tough, and you start thinking the worst. But what happened was extraordinary,” NY Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a press conference following the arrest.
Timeline of arrest: at 4:20 a.m. Oct.2, a car pulled up to the Sena family home, which was being guarded by State Police, and a ransom note was left in the mailbox. Fingerprints on the letter were entered into the New York State database in search of a possible match.
“The hit came at 2:30 (Monday) afternoon. There had been a DWI in 1999 in the city of Saratoga (Springs),” Gov. Hochul said. “A fingerprint was found that matched what was found on the ransom note.”
Further research led police to a residence with a camper located behind it. Ross’ mother lives in the residence - described as a double wide house, and Ross lived in the camper.
“They have what they call a dynamic entry, a tactical maneuver, and within the camper, they located the suspect,” the governor said. “After some resistance, the suspect was taken into custody, and immediately the little girl was found in a cabinet, cupboard. She was rescued. And she knew she was being rescued. She knew that she was in safe hands.”
“Ultimately, it was the two SWAT teams, one federal and one state, that landed in helicopters in Ballston Spa to rescue Charlotte,” said Hochul, who thanked law enforcement officials, several fire departments, city, county, state and federal agencies, and some 400 volunteers for their diligence in the search for the girl.