9-year-old abducted while on family camping trip found alive in cupboard of suspect's trailer: Governor



Charlotte Sena, a 9-year-old girl from Saratoga County, went missing Saturday while on a camping trip with family in upstate New York. Police suspected that she had been abducted and was "in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Hundreds of first responders, family members, and friends scoured Moreau Lake State Park and the surrounding area for the girl, hoping to find the child unscathed.

Following a tactical raid on a trailer just miles away from the family's home, New York State Police announced Monday night that the fourth-grader had been found "safe and in good health."

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Charlotte's "abductor is behind bars."

While police employed various high-tech aids in their search, it appears what ultimately led them to the girl was the suspect's brazenness.

What's the background?

TheBlaze previously reported that the NYSP issued an AMBER Alert Sunday morning, indicating that the girl, from Greenfield, New York, had been abducted on Saturday around 6:45 p.m. near Moreau Lake State Park, Loop A, Site 18, in Gansevoort. The alert noted the girl "was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Missing posters noted that the girl is blonde, green-eyed, 4 feet 6 inches tall and 90 pounds, and had last been seen wearing her bike helmet, an orange Pokemon shirt, and dark blue pants.

Charlotte Sena was out bike-riding with friends but had elected to do one more loop down a paved road, which cut through a heavily wooded area.

When she didn't return after 15 minutes, her family began looking for her.

Police indicated that her bicycle was located in Loop A around 6:45. Two minutes later, her mom called 911 to report Charlotte missing.

Bloodhounds, divers, forest rangers, air boats, ATVs, and drones were deployed in the search that followed, which ultimately involved roughly 400 people. The FBI and 34 volunteer fire departments also jumped in to assist state and local law enforcement.

Moreau Lake State Park was closed to the public, and the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted the airspace over the park to protect search aircraft.

Trisha, Charlotte Sena's mother, told the Albany Times Union her daughter is a "good kid" and "trusting," stressing, "I just want my daughter back."

The Sena family told NBC News in a statement, "We just want her returned safely like any parent would. No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all."

Hand-delivered evidence

Hochul told CNN that around 4:20 a.m. on Monday, the suspect "literally drove up to the family's mailbox assuming they were not home" and left an apparent ransom note.

The NYSP had been monitoring the home while the child's parents continued their search in Monreau Lake State Park. However, when the suspect hand-delivered the note, police were absent, having reportedly been called to another scene. While thus able to slip away, the suspect unwittingly left critical evidence behind: his fingerprints on the letter.

"That was instrumental in leading us directly to the suspect," added Hochul.

The police reportedly tested the note for fingerprints and searched law enforcement databases for a match. Although unsuccessful in their first attempt, the second search resulted in an apparent match to fingerprints from a 1999 DUI conviction in Saratoga, according to Newsweek.

After investigators identified 46-year-old Craig Nelson Ross Jr. as their suspect and ascertained that he was living in a trailer behind his mother's home on Barrett Road, Milton, two SWAT teams were dispatched.

Around 20 Special Operations Response Team members and an FBI SWAT team reportedly made entry just after 6 p.m. on Monday.

"They had what they call a dynamic entry tactical maneuver, and within the camper they located the suspect," said Hochul.

Ross got banged up in the process, having reportedly resisted arrest.

— (@)

Police found the 9-year-old stowed away in a cabinet in the trailer.

"She knew she was being rescued," said Hochul. "She knew she was in safe hands."

"Law enforcement teams were relentless in finding this little girl — putting the pieces together and leaving no cabin unturned — to bring Charlotte home to her parents," Hochul wrote on X. "Charlotte is safe and her abductor is behind bars tonight."

The Albany Times Union indicated that Ross' arrest was made less than three hours after NYSP said the search had been expanded over 46 linear miles.

It is unclear whether Ross knew of the Sena family prior to the abduction; however, Newsweek noted that his car registration is listed at an address near the Sena family home.

FBI joins search for missing 9-year-old Charlotte Senayoutu.be

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Smells like a government cover-up: Reporter claims Hawaii governor is HIDING THE WHOLE TRUTH from Maui residents



Unlike Joe Biden, who just cleared his schedule up enough to finally pay a visit to Maui, investigative journalist Nick Sortor has been on the island for some time now.

“Locals in the area say that the number of those killed is closer to 500” and that “the morgues are running out of body bags,” reports Sara Gonzales, citing the Daily Mail.

“There was one resident that told the outlet, ‘I know there are at least 480 dead here in Maui, and I don't understand why the authorities are not saying that.’ ... Have you seen anything on the ground to indicate that the government has not been truthful about the death toll so far?” Sara asks Sortor.

“I know at this point that the government has not been truthful over the death toll,” including “the death toll of the children,” Sortor says.

As for the morgues, Sortor says there’s only one official morgue in Maui, and it’s currently full with hundreds of people.

“I can't confirm that they died in the fire yet, but for whatever reason, the morgue is full, and they had to set up a temporary one over at the police station,” he says.

“They've now frozen this confirmed dead number at 114; it has not risen here in the past two days. I can't tell you why though,” Sortor continues.

But that’s not all the government is lying about, according to Sortor.

On August 18, he tweeted:

Sortor, someone who specializes in reporting on natural disasters, swears that “this is the most catastrophic failure of government that [he has] ever seen.”

Apparently authorities were “barring residents from using water to put out fires,” and “firefighters were trying to put out fires with no water.”

“And when I tried to go and confront the mayor of the town, he ran away from me,” Sortor says.

Granted “they kept schools closed that day,” “there were no sirens to tell the children to get out,” and “cell signal was out,” so it’s no surprise that people are enraged and demanding answers.

But it’s looking more and more like authorities don’t like being questioned.

“Since [Sortor] arrived and started pressing the local government, [he’s] been followed and ... threatened.”

Sara then plays a clip of Sortor being approached during an interview. A mysterious man suddenly shows up claiming he’s been trying to reach Sortor and then accuses Sortor of taking up valuable resources by being in Maui.

To hear more about what’s going on in Hawaii and the attempt to silence Nick Sortor, watch the full clip below.


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Rescue teams save 25 people stranded by flash flooding in national forest

Rescue teams save 25 people stranded by flash flooding in national forest



More than two dozen people are home safe after a scary trip to a national forest, thanks to Arizona firefighters and local search and rescue teams.

Twenty-one adults, three children, and one infant out exploring in Coronado National Forest last Friday suddenly found themselves trapped when a low-water crossing at Bear Canyon filled with fast-moving flood water. According to Tucson.com, the water was moving at 3,000 cubic feet per second, while experts warn that people shouldn't attempt to cross water moving any faster than 300 cubic feet per second.

Arizona firefighters soon joined forces with U.S. Forest Service and Pima County Search and Rescue teams to help the people cross the water safely. The firefighters determined that a ladder rescue would be the safest course of action. "This maneuver was imperative," according to a Facebook post from the Tucson Fire Department, "as the rescuers anticipated continued storms in the area and the water to rise."

So, shortly before sundown, the crews lowered a ladder furnished by the Tucson Fire Department and brought all those trapped to safety.



"Great teamwork made this rescue happen," @CoronadoNF wrote in a tweet which includes several photos.

\u201c5:15 PM rescue of 21 adults, 3 children, & 1 infant \nBear Canyon \nPima County SAR, Tucson Fire - Rosemont and Pima Stations (engine 7 and ladder 4), & the Coronado NF worked together to perform a ladder rescue over the low water crossing. \n\nGreat teamwork made this rescue happen.\u201d
— Coronado NF (@Coronado NF) 1660363690

The Tucson Fire Department echoed similar sentiments in another Facebook post: "Great work by our TRT team, and we appreciate the close connections we have with neighboring agencies that make quick rescues like this possible. Just another day in the life for #TucsonFire!👩🚒"


According to Tucson.com, one of the rescued was said to have suffered a sprained ankle either before teams arrived or during the rescue. The person is expected to make a full recovery. There were no other injuries reported from the rescuers or the rescued.

The annual period between June 15 and September 30 is considered "monsoon season" in Arizona, according to FOX10 Phoenix. Monsoons are a shift in strong winds that, during summer months, often usher in significant rainfall that can cause severe flooding. Fox News reports that monsoons have lately washed out some Arizona road ways in recent weeks.

Better call Saul: Saul, the border collie, leads search and rescue teams to his owner, who had fallen 70 feet in Tahoe National Forest



Saul, a loyal border collie, was awarded "a well-deserved dinner" a week ago Thursday after he led search and rescue teams to his owner, who had been injured in a fall in Tahoe National Forest.

According to Nevada County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, a 53-year-old man dialed 911 after he fell 70 feet while hiking in the forest. He relayed that he'd broken a hip and several ribs and was unable to bring himself to safety. However, during the conversation, the cell phone lost signal and couldn't be reestablished.

NCSSR said that a 25-man search team then ventured out to the general vicinity and were able to contact one of the man's friends who directed them to the man's campsite. However, when they got there, the man was nowhere to be found.

"As our searchers got to the area and found his camp, they couldn’t find him … so they spread out and searched the area," Sgt. Dennis Haack said, according to Fox News.

However, despite their best efforts, the crew was unable to locate the injured man. That is, until Saul arrived on the scene and saved the day.

In a Facebook post, NCSSR reported that "the true credit [for the rescue] goes to the subjects k9 Border Collie that ran through the forest approximately 200 yards and in true 'LASSIE' fashion to flag down two searchers and led them back to the subject which was covered in a camo tarp."

The team were able to secure the man and safely transport him a half-mile away, where a medevac helicopter was waiting. He was then airlifted to a hospital, but there have been no reports about his condition.

Meanwhile, the NCSSR Facebook post assured readers that Saul spent that night safely at a Grass Valley animal shelter and that he was "given a well deserved dinner" for his heroic efforts. He has since been reunited with his owner.