The search for a 9-year-old girl who may have been kidnapped over the weekend while on a bike ride at an upstate New York park stretched into its third day Monday as her family made a desperate plea for any clues about her whereabouts.
Charlotte E. 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 and remains in effect.
The child may have been abducted from the park, according to a post by state police.
“The day turned into every parent’s nightmare,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a news conference on Sunday.
This photo provided by her family on Oct. 2, 2023, shows Charlotte Sena, 9, who vanished during a camping trip in upstate New York.
Family photo via AP
“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.”
Charlotte, 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 Charlotte 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.
Charlotte was on Loop A at the park when she disappeared, according to police.
This photo provided by her family on Oct. 2, 2023, shows Charlotte Sena, 9, who vanished during a camping trip in upstate New York.
Family photo via AP
Authorities believe it is “quite possible” an abduction took place because investigators have already completed an “exhausted search” of the state park, New York State Police Lt. Col. Richard Mazzone told reporters.
A New York State Police command post has been established at the state park, Hochul said.
About 100 law enforcement officers were searching for her on Monday with the help of civilians. Drones, bloodhounds and an airboat are being deployed in the search.
Patrick Kane, a friend of Charlotte’s father, joined the search at the park on Monday.
“Hug your children first of all. Say a prayer that this resolves itself in a safe manner,” Kane told ABC News Albany affiliate station WTEN. “I think we just want to be on guard, ready to do whatever needs to be done. Every little bit helps whether you saw something or you think of something. This little girl needs you.”
