Searchers look for missing 9-year-old girl Charlotte Sena (via YouTube screengrab/NBC News). Inset: Charlotte Sena (via New York State Police).
A 9-year-old girl who went missing while on a camping trip with her family has been found safe after a nearly two-day search, and police have a suspect in custody.
Charlotte E. Sena disappeared around dinnertime Saturday after biking with friends in Moreau Lake State Park in upstate New York, some 50 miles north of Albany. After almost 48 hours of intense searching, New York State Police announced that she had been found.
“The Amber Alert has been cancelled,” NYSP announced on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. “Charlotte has been found safe and in good health.”
***AMBER ALERT – UPDATE***
THE AMBER ALERT has been cancelled. Charlotte has been found safe and in good health. pic.twitter.com/p8HyFB7zbP— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) October 2, 2023
Law enforcement sources told the Times Union newspaper that police have a suspect in custody, although the suspect’s name has not been publicly shared.
Citing police sources, the Times Union reported that the suspect allegedly has a sexual abuse criminal history and that they left a note at Sena’s parents’ house, possibly demanding some type of ransom for the girl. Those same sources also said that police had raided a house some 13 miles south of Charlotte’s family’s home on Monday.
The Senas had been camping at the state park for the weekend, according to state officials, and she had decided to take one more loop around the lake by herself.
“She said she’s finally going around one more time by herself,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press conference on Sunday. “Be that big girl, do it by herself.”
Within 15 minutes she hadn’t returned.
“Her parents knew immediately something was up,” Hochul said. “They called her name. People started searching, people from other campgrounds joined.” Hochul described those first frantic moments as “chaotic.”
At around 6:45 p.m., Charlotte’s mother Trisha called police, and by 7:00 p.m. Saturday, the search was on, lasting for more than 18 hours. More than 100 people, including 75 law enforcement officials, got involved, and drones, sonar, and underwater rescue teams were already deployed.
By Sunday morning, Charlotte hadn’t been found, and that’s when New York State Police issued an Amber Alert.
Charlotte E. Sena Amber Alert (via New York State Police).
“The child, Charlotte E. Sena, is a White female, approximately 9 years 1 month old with long, blonde hair and green eyes,” the Amber Alert says. “She is approximately 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 90 pounds. Charlotte was last seen wearing Orange tie-dye Pokemon 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 also says.
Hochul, who spoke with Charlotte’s family, said that she is a “joyful” fourth grader who was recently elected to be a class officer for 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 said.
This story has been updated with the announcement that Charlotte was found.
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