Police: 9-Year-Old Girl Feared to Have Been Abducted in New York Found Alive, Suspect in Custody

A nine-year-old girl who vanished during a camping trip with her family at Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County, New York, has been found safe, and a suspect involved in her disappearance is in custody, officials announced Monday.

New York State Police said Charlotte Sena is “in good health” after she went missing on Saturday, the New York Post reported. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) previously told reporters at a news conference that Charlotte had been biking around Loop A of the park with family and friends and had said she wanted to bike one more loop on her own.

Hochul said that when Charlotte had not returned 15 minutes later, her parents, along with nearby campers, began searching for her and calling her name. Lt. Col. Richard Mazzone said they found Charlotte’s bike on the loop at 6:45 p.m., and two minutes later, her mother called 911 to report her daughter missing. Police arrived at the scene by 7 p.m.

State police issued an Amber Alert after around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday for a “child abduction” they say occurred around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

“Charlotte’s mother feared that her ‘trusting’ daughter had been abducted from a trail through the park called Loop A, where her bike was found,” according to the report.

State police, along with FBI agents, and 34 volunteer fire departments conducted an “extensive 18-hour search” of the park using police dogs, drones, boats, and underwater teams, the report states.

“By Monday afternoon, NY State Police Lt. Col. Richard Mazzone said investigators did not believe Charlotte, who is from Greenfield, was still in the park,” according to the report.

State police have not released information about where Charlotte was discovered or details about the suspect.