9-Year-Old Charlotte Sena's Kidnapping Suspect, 47, Charged After His DNA Was Left on Ransom Note
Charlotte Sena was found safe and sound after an intense two-day search.
Oct. 3 2023, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
The parents of missing 9-year-old Charlotte Sena are overjoyed their daughter is back home after a two-day search led to her safe return and a suspect being placed into custody, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Craig Ross Jr., 47, was arrested Monday at his mother's trailer in Milton, New York. He has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, and additional charges are expected, according to a news release from the New York State Police.
Craig Ross Jr., 47, has been arraigned on a first-degree kidnapping charge.
Sena was abducted from Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort on Saturday while camping with family. She vanished during an early afternoon bike ride about 45 miles north of Albany, going for one last loop around before the sun went down.
Their worst fears were amplified when Sena's bike was found, leading authorities to conclude that she had been taken from the 6,250-acre grounds. It was a scenario the state's governor, Kathy Hochul, described as "every parent's nightmare" before the little girl was discovered.
The suspect left a ransom note with DNA and fingerprints.
Ross Jr. allegedly left a ransom note inside the family's mailbox at 4:20 AM on Monday that was covered in his DNA and fingerprints, which investigators later linked to a DWI arrest made in Saratoga County in 1999.
Law enforcement officials soon approached the home of Ross Jr.'s mother in nearby Milton, where he was living in a camper behind the property. He was apprehended after some resistance, and Sena was discovered hidden in a cupboard.
Authorities linked it back to Ross Jr. after a database search.
"She knew she was being rescued," Hochul shared. "She knew she was in safe hands."
"She appeared to be outwardly physically unharmed at the time," added the governor. Sena was brought to the hospital, as customary, and has since been reunited with loved ones.
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The Sena Household where the ransom note was left.
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Ross Jr. is being held in Saratoga Jail without bail and his next court date is set for October 17. RadarOnline.com can confirm the investigation is still ongoing with the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office assisting the New York State Police, seeking video footage captured during the time Sena was last seen riding her bike on Saturday.
After she was found safe and sound, the family released a statement: "We are thrilled that she is home and we understand that the outcome is not what every family gets."
"A huge thank you to the FBI, the New York State police, all of the agencies that were mobilized, all of the families, friends, community, neighbors and hundreds of volunteers who supported us and worked tirelessly to bring Charlotte home."
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