Missing 9-year-old girl Charlotte Sena found in ‘good health,’ suspect in custody: Police

Charlotte Sena, the 9-year-old girl who went missing last weekend while on a bike ride at an upstate New York park, has been found, police announced Monday evening.

“Charlotte Sena has been located and in good health. A suspect is in custody,” New York State Police said in a statement. “This is still an active investigation.”

Later on Monday evening, police shared more details about the search, saying that earlier in the day, State Police “identified an individual as being in the area of the Moreau Lake State Park around the time Charlotte went missing.”

Additional investigation led authorities to search “multiple residences where the individual is known to reside,” police said.

“Upon the search of those residences, at approximately 6:32 p.m. on October 2, 2023, State Police located Charlotte Sena safe and in good health,” the authorities added, noting the suspect was taken into custody.

Authorities said that the investigation is still active.

Following the news Sena had been located, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement.

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

“Thank you to the New York State Police, New York Park Police and all who worked so tirelessly to find Charlotte. It is because of their efforts that Charlotte will be able to return home safe to her family,” the statement concluded.

The search for Sena entered its third day Monday morning as her family made a plea for any clues as to her whereabouts.

“We just want her returned safely like any parent would,” the girl’s family said in a statement. “No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all.”

Before she was located on Monday, Sena was last seen at the Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County, New York, at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, according to New York State Police. An Amber Alert was issued for her.

There were concerns the child might have been abducted from the park, police previously said.

“The day turned into every parent’s nightmare,” Gov. Hochul said during a news conference on Sunday.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed to ABC News on Monday that its agents were “assisting our partners at the NYS Police with any technological and investigative needs.”

About 400 certified search-and-rescue personnel from multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as of Monday afternoon and 34 volunteer fire departments as well as private search-and-rescue groups combed the 6,250-acre Moreau Lake State Park for any signs of the missing child, officials said. Drones, bloodhounds and an airboat were deployed in the search

Moreau Lake State Park remains closed indefinitely to the public.

The search, which was led by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers, expanded over 46 linear miles, officials said Monday.

A temporary flight restriction was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration over the park “to ensure the safety of our aircraft operations,” according to the New York State Police.

Sena, of Greenfield, New York, disappeared while on a bike ride at the campground where she was staying with family and friends, Hochul said at the news conference.

Hochul said Sena was out around dinnertime on Sunday riding her bike in the campground with friends she considers cousins. She said the fourth-grade girl was doing one last lap around the park alone when she went missing.

The girl’s family and other campers went looking for her and her mother found her bike around 6:45 p.m. Saturday and called 911, police said.

Sena was on Loop A at the park when she disappeared, according to police.

ABC News’ Darren Reynolds and Stephanie Ramos contributed to this story.