GANSEVOORT, N.Y. (Scripps News) — New York police announced a missing 9-year-old girl who vanished during a camping trip with her family has been found safe.
Courtesy: Jené Sena via WKBW
Police said Charlotte Sena was “located and in good health.” Police said they were still conducting an active investigation and signaled they expected to deliver more details on the case.
The Times Union reported that police had taken a suspect into custody in connection to the child’s disappearance. The outlet reported that police sources said an investigation was focused on the theory that the girl had been abducted. It was believed that she could have possibly been pulled into a vehicle or into a wooded area.
More than 100 people joined the search for the 9-year-old, who went missing at Moreau Lake State Park at around 6:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, New York State Police said.
Charlotte Sena was riding her bike with other children when she reportedly decided to make one last loop around the riding path alone.
Her parents said they immediately knew something was wrong when, according to their account, around 15 minutes went by and the fourth-grader did not return, according to a statement from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Charlotte’s mother Trisha said her family and others began calling out her name in a frantic search for the child. Trisha Sena then called 911 to report the child missing before police responded to the scene.
An Amber Alert was issued by Sunday morning, and police indicated there was fear the girl may have been abducted.
“The child was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death,” NYSP said at the time.
New York state police Major Dennis J. Schager said days later, after Sena was found safe, that they were planning to continue their investigation into the matter. An Amber alert was canceled, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Multiple reports along with a statement from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul indicated that the girl’s parents received a message, possibly a ransom note, at their home after their daughter disappeared. Hochul told CNN that fingerprints on the note assisted police in finding a suspect.
New York police said they searched multiple residences before apprehending the suspect with the help of multiple law enforcement agencies.
Police said they would offer more details on their investigation by Tuesday.
This story was originally published by Scripps News, an E.W. Scripps Company.
