Suspect in Charlotte Sena Abduction Identified by Fingerprints Left on Alleged Ransom Note

Police identified the 47-year-old suspected abductor of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena by pulling fingerprints off a ransom note, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told Spectrum News.

The fingerprints from the ransom note were found in a criminal database, Hochul said on CNN. Hochul confirmed Monday evening that the fingerprints matched those from a DWI arrest in 1999.

A search of multiple residences associated with the suspect was then conducted, including one located roughly 13 miles south of where Sena lived in the hamlet of Porters Corners, and police found Charlotte at around 6:32 p.m. on Monday, according to a statement from New York State Police.

According to Hochul, police also used cellphone pings from around the area to locate the suspect.

“It was extraordinary to see how they traced it down to an individual’s home,” Hochul told CNN. “The home was surrounded by law enforcement and helicopters, and they were able to bring her to safety. And not long after, she was in the arms of her parents at a hospital.”

She was found “safe and in good health,” according to police. Charlotte was found almost exactly two days after she first went missing.

"We cannot emphasize enough how appreciative we are for the support we received from Charlotte’s community, friends and family," New York State Police said in a statement.

The 9-year-old girl went missing on Saturday while biking by herself at Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort, New York. She was there camping with family and friends and decided to go on a solo bike loop around the lake at around 6:15 p.m. before she vanished.

Multiple agencies joined the search effort for Charlotte, including the FBI and U.S. Marshal Service, in addition to state and local police.