Charlotte Sena, 9, Found in Cupboard of Alleged Abductor’s Trailer Days Following Her Disappearance

After two days of searching for a little girl who went missing on a family outing, officials happily announced that they had saved little Charlotte and returned her safely to her parents. Statements from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul have been released.

Nine-year-old Charlotte Sena's parents' worst nightmare was realized on Saturday, September 30, when their daughter was seemingly abducted from their campsite in a New York State park.

Charlotte's parents stayed at the campsite where their daughter had disappeared to wait for her return as officials were posted at their family home to wait for any sign of the little girl there.

Hochul said that hope for finding Charlotte began to wane around the 24-hour mark after she disappeared, but then something extraordinary happened that helped the family find Charlotte in good health.

How Was Charlotte Sena Found?

Charlotte was riding her bike with friends around a loop in a Saratoga state park. When she decided to do a loop by herself, that's when she went missing. Her bike was found on the loop, but Charlotte was nowhere to be seen.

Her family last saw her at around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, and they began searching for their beloved little girl immediately. Unfortunately, the search was futile, even with the help of authorities. Two days later, Charlotte was found.

Hochul revealed that at 4:20 on Monday morning, the person who allegedly abducted Charlotte drove up to her home, where he left a ransom note in the mailbox. Fingerprints from the note were lifted, after which the police tried to find a match to the prints.

The first fingerprint police tried wasn't a match, but the second one was successful, leading to the identity of the person who had placed the ransom note in the Sena family mailbox.

At 2:30 that afternoon, police learned that the man had been arrested in Saratoga for a DWI in 1999. Using the information from the arrest, they were able to determine where the suspect lived. When they got to the house, the suspect's mother was there, and they found out he lived in a camper van behind the house.

Soon, police found the suspect inside the camper. Although he resisted at first, he was taken into custody. Meanwhile, Charlotte was located inside a cupboard and ultimately rescued from the suspect's clutches.

What Happened Next?

Hochul confirmed that Charlotte knew she was being rescued and was finally in safe hands. Her parents were immediately notified that their daughter had been found in good health despite the traumatic experience.

The 47-year-old suspect, Craig Nelson Ross Jr., was being questioned at the time of Hochul's statement. She confirmed that although charges had not been brought against him yet, they were fully expected.

Although Charlotte seemed to be in good health when she was found, she was transported to a local hospital for a check-up, and her family confirmed that was all they wished to share of her state for now. Hochul said:

"We'll leave the rest of the information about little Charlotte to her family at a time they deem appropriate."

Hochul thanked all the teams who had helped find Charlotte and made special mention of the state and federal SWAT teams who landed helicopters near where Charlotte was being held and rescued her.

The New York State Governor said she and other officials were overwhelmed by Charlotte's rescue because they had feared the worst when they did not find Charlotte and had passed the 24-hour mark. However, multiple teams worked together to return Charlotte safely to her home.

Although the investigation is ongoing, officials plan to hold a news conference on Tuesday, October 3. Many people following the story have since commented on the multiple posts about Sena.

One of the most poignant posts was of Charlotte's family standing in the spot where she had been abducted, clapping and cheering at the fact that their beloved little girl had been found alive and well.

We wish Charlotte and her family peace and healing during this traumatic time. If you want to read more about her story, you can find it here.