Charlotte Sena update: Craig Ross Jr court appearance postponed

According to police, officers saw someone drop a note in the mailbox at 4.20am Monday, the governor said. At the time, Charlotte’s family was at the campground while police watched their home in Greenfield.

State police pulled fingerprints off the note and the second one matched Mr Ross, who was in a database from a 1999 DWI case.

Law enforcement agents linked Ross to the property owned by his mother, where they found him in the camper.

“After some resistance, the suspect was taken into custody and immediately the little girl was found in a cabinet,” Gov Hochul said. “She knew she was being rescued. She knew that she was in safe hands.”

The governor said that Charlotte was found unharmed and was transported to a hospital for a standard checkup. She was reunited with her family.

It remains unclear what exactly was written on the ransom note allegedly delivered by Mr Ross, but according to records obtained by CNN, the note allegedly demanded $50,000 from the nine-year-old’s family in exchange for her safe return.

Sources close to the investigation have now also told the AlbanyTimes Union that Mr Ross Jr may have forced the nine-year-old to write the note herself.

Authorities have not established whether the suspect knew Charlotte and her family previous to the abduction. Mr Ross, who was described as a mailman by WNYT, owns a vehicle that was registered to an address in close proximity to the Senas’ home.

Investigators will spend the following days conducting interviews to determine if and how the abduction was targeted, according to Gov Hochul.

“It’s not been determined that the suspect was known to the family. That is what will be revealed after more extensive questioning,” she said.

“The vehicle registered to the suspect, the address in the database was two miles from Charlotte’s home but it is not known at this point whether he knew her or had her under surveillance for a length of time.”

The suspect in the alleged abduction of Charlotte Sena may have forced the nine-year-old to write her own $50,000 ransom note, according to a report.

Craig Nelson Ross Jr, 47, was charged with first-degree kidnapping on Tuesday after Charlotte Sena was found hidden in a cabinet inside his campervan at the back of his mother’s house on Monday evening.

Her rescue came almost 48 hours after she was snatched while riding her bike in Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County, upstate New York, on Saturday evening.

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Craig Nelson Ross Jr, 46, was named as the suspect in the disappearance of nine-year-old Charlotte Sena.

He was arrested on Monday at his campervan around the back of his mother’s house.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, he was charged with first-degree kidnapping and appeared for his arraignment in Milton Town Court.

He was then booked into Saratoga County jail at around 3.40am where he is currently being held without bail.

Police are attempting to determine if the Sena family was known to the suspect.

At a press conference on Monday evening, New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed the address connected to the suspect’s vehicle was two miles from Charlotte’s home in Greenfield, New York.

Police will spend Tuesday interviewing Mr Ross Jr to determine if he had the nine-year-old under surveillance, Governor Hochul said.

The governor also said the suspect’s home is being searched by police to make sure he is not connected to any other cases.

Mr Ross Jr was identified by authorities after he drove to the home of Charlotte’s parents and left a ransom note on Monday morning, Governor Hochul said.

“He literally drove up to the family’s mailbox assuming they were not home,” Ms Hochul said, adding that Charlotte’s parents were still at the campground at Moreau Lake State Park at the time, and officers who were monitoring the family home had been sent to another call in the area.

Police later tested the note for fingerprints and searched law enforcement databases for a match.

A match later came back as belonging to the 47-year-old suspect.

The Saratoga County District Attorney has announced that Craig Ross’ court appearance on Friday morning has been adjourned.

The man accused of kidnapping nine-year-old Charlotte Sena is now expected to appear in court again on 21 November at 11.30am, CNY Central reports.

Mr Ross is facing charges of kidnapping in the first degree over the 1 October abduction of Charlotte, who was found two days later in the suspect’s campervan.

New York State Police said that it was possible more charges will be brought against the suspect.

Craig N Ross Jr, 46, was arrested on Monday evening and charged with kidnapping in the first degree in connection with the 1 October abduction of Charlotte. The little girl was found “unharmed” and hiding inside a cabinet in Mr Ross’ campervan, which was parked behind his mother’s residence in the village of of Ballston Spa, police said.

Gov Kathy Hochul revealed during a press conference following the rescue that Mr Ross was linked to the abduction through a ransom note left inside the Sena family’s mailbox in the early morning hours of Monday. State police pulled fingerprints off the note and the second one matched Mr Ross, who was in a database from a 1999 DWI case.

New York State Police officials have since confirmed to The Independent that Mr Ross was arrested five years ago over a domestic dispute. According to the law enforcement agency, the unnamed victim accused Mr Ross, who lived in Corinth at the time, of applying pressure on their throat during an altercation on 21 April 2017.

“Ross Jr. was arrested at the scene and transported to SP Wilton for processing,” a spokesperson for NYSP said in a statement. “He was arraigned at the Moreau Town Court and released on his own recognizance.”

According to police, officers saw someone drop a note in the mailbox at 4.20am Monday, the governor said. At the time, Charlotte’s family was at the campground while police watched their home in Greenfield.

State police pulled fingerprints off the note and the second one matched Mr Ross, who was in a database from a 1999 DWI case.

Law enforcement agents linked Ross to the property owned by his mother, where they found him in the camper.

“After some resistance, the suspect was taken into custody and immediately the little girl was found in a cabinet,” Gov Hochul said. “She knew she was being rescued. She knew that she was in safe hands.”

The governor said that Charlotte was found unharmed and was transported to a hospital for a standard checkup. She was reunited with her family.

It remains unclear what exactly was written on the ransom note allegedly delivered by Mr Ross, but according to records obtained by CNN, the note allegedly demanded $50,000 from the nine-year-old’s family in exchange for her safe return.

Sources close to the investigation have now also told the AlbanyTimes Union that Mr Ross Jr may have forced the nine-year-old to write the note herself.