A 9-year-old girl went missing during a bike ride while camping with her family at Moreau Lake State Park in New York. The police searched the area for 18 hours before issuing an Amber Alert. The girl is believed to have been abducted and a fanatic search is on to trace her.
Charlotte Sena from Greenfield, NY, was with her family for an outing on a Saturday evening. She chose to do one final loop around the picnic area by herself, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press conference on Sunday. Charlotte, the niece of a local firefighter, embarked on a bike ride on Loop A at around 6:15 p.m.
Gone Without a Trace
Charlotte wanted to demonstrate that she was "one of the big kids." However, she didn't return from the ride.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that Charlotte was taken under circumstances that have led the police to believe she is in immediate danger of serious harm and/or death.
Charlotte was last seen wearing an orange tie-dye Pokémon shirt, dark blue pants, black Crocs, and a gray bike helmet. She is described as a White person with blonde hair, standing at 4 feet 6 inches and weighing 90 pounds.
"I just want my daughter back," Charlotte's mother, Trisha Sena, told the Albany Times Union.
She described Charlotte "a good kid" and that she is "trusting."
Charlotte was visiting the state park, just a short 15-minute drive away from Greenfield, the place where she and her two sisters were raised. During this family outing, they camped out, cooked, and enjoyed bike rides together.
The nine-year-old was with two close friends, almost like cousins to her on that fateful Saturday night. They decided to go for a bike ride before darkness descended. They cycled loops around the trail, but while her friends headed back, Charlotte wanted to complete one last round by herself.
When 15 minutes went by and Charlotte hadn't returned to the campsite, her parents, David and Trisha, grew concerned sensing something was wrong. They called out for her, but there was no response.
Worried, everyone, including strangers from nearby campgrounds, dropped what they were doing and joined in the search for the missing nine-year-old.
Desperate Search On
Thirty minutes later, at 6:37 p.m., Trisha called 911 for help. State police arrived at the scene promptly by 7 p.m. Charlotte's bike was found, but there was no trace of the fourth-grade girl.
The New York State police issued an Amber Alert at 9:35 a.m. on Sunday, specifying that it was a 'child abduction' that occurred around 6:45 p.m. the previous night.
A new search team was deployed that morning, bringing the total number of searchers to over 100, including forest rangers and 75 law enforcement personnel. The effort to find Charlotte continued tirelessly.
"We continue to dedicate all the resources that we can to find Charlotte and bring her home safe," Mazzone said.
On Sunday morning, Hochul held a press conference to provide updates on the ongoing search for Charlotte. Accompanied by members of law enforcement, including representatives from the FBI, Governor Hochul shared important information with the public regarding the efforts to find the missing girl.
"They were here to make memories - the kind that last a lifetime," she said. 'But instead, the day turned into every parent's nightmare.
