A 9-year-old girl who went missing during a family camping trip has been found safe after a nearly two-day search, and police have a suspect in custody.
Charlotte E. Sena disappeared on Saturday evening while biking with friends in Moreau Lake State Park in upstate New York, about 50 miles north of Albany. After an intensive 48-hour search, New York State Police announced that she had been located.
"The Amber Alert has been cancelled," NYSP announced on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "Charlotte has been found safe and in good health."
According to law enforcement sources cited by the Times Union newspaper, the police have a suspect in custody, although the suspect's identity has not been publicly disclosed.
The sources revealed that the suspect has a history of sexual abuse charges and left a note at Sena's parents' house, possibly making ransom demands for the girl. They also reported that the police had conducted a raid at a house approximately 13 miles south of Charlotte's family home on Monday.
The Sena family had been camping at the state park for the weekend, and Charlotte had decided to take one more solo bike ride around the lake.
"She said she's finally going around one more time by herself," Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned at a press conference on Sunday, encouraging her independence. However, within 15 minutes, Charlotte had not returned, causing immediate concern for her parents.
"Her parents knew immediately something was up," Hochul said. "They called her name. People started searching, people from other campgrounds joined in." The initial moments were described as chaotic.
Around 6:45 p.m., Charlotte's mother, Trisha, contacted the police, initiating a search that continued for over 18 hours. Over 100 people, including 75 law enforcement officials, participated in the search, and resources like drones, sonar, and underwater rescue teams were deployed.
By Sunday morning, Charlotte remained missing, prompting New York State Police to issue an Amber Alert.
The alert described Charlotte as a 9-year-old White female with long blonde hair and green eyes, approximately 4 feet 6 inches tall, and weighing about 90 pounds. She was last seen wearing an orange tie-dye Pokémon shirt, dark blue pants, black Crocs, and a gray bike helmet.
"The child was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death," the Amber Alert emphasized.
Hochul, who spoke with Charlotte's family, described her as a "joyful" fourth grader who had recently been elected as a class officer for the student council.
"Everybody just thought of her as a really nice girl, the kind that people wanted to be friends with, the kind that looked out for other children, the pride of every parent," Hochul added.
In another news, a customer at a Taco Bell drive-thru in Charlotte, North Carolina, got really mad when he thought he got the wrong change. So, he stormed inside the restaurant with a gun and started shooting, according to what the police are saying. See detailed story here
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