By analyzing the fingerprints that were left behind on a ransom note, the police were able to identify a young woman who had been reported missing.
The note had been left behind by the suspect. Charlotte Sena, age 9, went missing on Saturday while riding her bicycle in New York, which spurred a large search effort over the subsequent 48 hours that involved hundreds of persons.
After some time had passed, a ransom note was brought to the family's home. According to the authorities, the note contained the suspect's fingerprints.
The police were able to identify him since the print was on their database and linked to a drunk driving incident that occurred in 1999. He was taken into custody after being found on land that belonged to his mother.
After some resistance, the suspect was taken into custody, and the child was promptly located in a cabinet, according to a press conference held by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday evening.
She knew about her rescue and she felt assured that she was in capable hands. She proclaimed that the occurrence was extraordinary.
The governor identified the suspect as 47-year-old Craig Nelson Ross Jr. and stated that he was still being interrogated. According to police, the investigation is still active.
Charlotte went missing on Saturday in a woodland area of Moreau Lake State Park, a popular campground located about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Albany.
It was every parent's worst nightmare, Governor Hochul stated, adding that she received frantic phone calls from across the nation during the search.
Monday morning, after Charlotte's disappearance, a ransom note slipped through the letterbox of her family's residence.
The fingerprints were collected and identified by police officers who were observing the building.
Gov. Hochul told sources that mobile phone data and park visitor records aided the investigation. Charlotte was "safe and in good health," according to police, but she was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Callahan Walsh told the sources US partner CBS that Charlotte may have endured immense trauma.
Police reported that 400 search and rescue personnel from law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, volunteer fire departments, and private organizations participated in the search.
They called for the assistance of the general public in locating the “bright and adventurous girl who loves to be outside" after issuing an amber alert for a kid who had gone missing.
Charlotte's aunt posted a message on social media asking for information, and a guy who knew the family expressed his horror to the sources, stating that the Senas were "wonderful, wonderful people." Charlotte's aunt also reposted the message.
According to the authorities, the search effort took place over a distance of approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers).
The park was cordoned off while state troopers set up checkpoints on neighboring roads and reportedly asked some drivers to allow their vehicles to be checked . According to Governor Hochul, the FBI have also been aiding with the investigation.
