Nine-Year-Old Girl Missing in New York; Police Suspect Abduction
New York, NY – A frantic search is underway for nine-year-old Charlotte Sena, who authorities believe was abducted while on a family camping trip.
Charlotte was last seen around 6:15 PM on a Saturday at Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County, just 50 miles north of Albany, New York’s capital city.
Police have declared that Charlotte’s disappearance places her in “imminent danger of serious harm and/or death,” activating an Amber Alert for a “child abduction” on Sunday.
She was reportedly dressed in an orange tie-dye Pokemon T-shirt, dark blue pants, black Crocs, and a gray bicycle helmet when she went missing.
The search operation has mobilized over 100 personnel and 75 law enforcement officials, utilizing K-9 units, drones, boats, and six underwater rescue teams.
“We just want her returned safely like any parent would. No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all,” Charlotte’s family urged in a statement to NBC News, Sky News’ US partner network.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, while addressing reporters, revealed that Charlotte and her family were camping only 15 minutes away from their home.
Ms. Hochul explained that the young girl had been riding in Loop A of the park with family friends when she expressed her desire to do one more lap by herself. However, when she failed to return within 15 minutes, her parents and fellow campers initiated a frantic search.
At 6:45 PM local time, the bicycle Charlotte had been riding was discovered.
Governor Hochul expressed her heartfelt sympathy for the family, saying, “As a mother and as a grandmother, I cannot imagine the pain they’re going through. Hopefully, there will be a reunion, hopefully, there will be a family that has been traumatised but reunited.”