Suspect in Charlotte Sena kidnapping identified through fingerprint on ransom note

A man accused of abducting Charlotte Sena, 9, from a New York state campground was identified after police matched a fingerprint on a ransom note left at the girl's home Monday – a break that led to the man's arrest and Charlotte's rescue after an exhaustive two-day search.

Police were monitoring the Sena family home when a person pulled up to the house at 4:20 a.m. and dropped the note in the mailbox, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference late Monday. Around 2:30 p.m. investigators matched a fingerprint on the letter to Craig Nelson Ross Jr., who was in a database from a 1999 DWI case.

Hours later, SWAT teams raided a camper where Ross, 47, lived behind his mother's home in Saratoga County, less than 20 miles from the state park where Charlotte vanished Saturday. "After some resistance," Ross was arrested, Hochul said. Police said he sustained minor injuries while resisting.

Charlotte was discovered hidden in a cabinet and appeared to be physically unharmed, Hochul said. She was taken to a local hospital, as is customary in such cases.

"We are overjoyed at the news that Charlotte Sena has been located safely this evening after an intense days-long search," the governor said in a statement. "Our hearts are with her family as they welcome her home."

In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Charlotte's aunt Jené Sena thanked law enforcement and the families and friends who volunteered in the search.

"We are thrilled that she is home and we understand that the outcome is not what every family gets," the statement said.

Suspect charged with first-degree kidnapping

Ross was being held without bail early Tuesday at the Saratoga County Correctional Facility, according to New York State Police. He was processed at police headquarters and arraigned at the Milton Town Court on a felony charge of first-degree kidnapping. Additional charges were expected, police said.

An arraignment memorandum obtained by USA TODAY said Ross "wrote a ransom letter with intent to compel the payment of monies as a ransom" for Charlotte. The public defender's office, which is representing Ross, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hochul said it has not been determined whether Ross "is known to the family."

Hundreds of people assisted in the search for Charlotte

Ross' arrest concluded a two-day search that saw more than 400 people, including police, forest rangers and firefighters, descend on Moreau Lake State Park, about 35 miles north of Albany, New York, and the surrounding area. Helicopters, drones, dogs and water search teams covered more than 46 linear miles.

Charlotte, the middle child of three girls, disappeared Saturday evening while riding her bicycle on a loop trail around the cabin where she and her family were camping with friends over the weekend. Her family lives in Greenfield, a town of about 8,200 in Saratoga County, New York.

On Sunday morning, an Amber Alert including Charlotte's description was issued. Authorities said they suspected Charlotte had been abducted based on the circumstances of her disappearance.

While law enforcement continued its search and examined the ransom note, Charlotte's parents and siblings remained at the campsite surrounded by family and friends. The Sena family urged the public to look out for anyone who appeared suspicious or matched Charlotte's description and pleaded for tips to be sent to the New York State Police.

"It's still pretty overwhelming because all of us feared the worst," Hochul told reporters Monday. "Obviously it's a traumatic event for the family and certainly Charlotte, and we'll continue to keep them in our prayers as they heal."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fingerprint on ransom note helps police find Charlotte Sena in N.Y.