MOREAU, NEW YORK: A frantic search is underway to find nine-year-old Charlotte Sena, who may have been abducted while riding her bike around Moreau Lake State Park in upstate New York.
An Amber Alert was issued for Sena on Sunday, October 1 after she mysteriously disappeared while enjoying a camping trip with her family in the park.
The young girl was last seen on Loop A at around 6.15 p.m. on Saturday, wearing an orange tie-dye Pokemon t-shirt, dark blue pants, black Crocs, and a gray bike helmet, according to Daily Mail.
She is described as being White with blonde hair, standing 4 ft 6 inches tall and weighing 90 pounds. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children noted that Sena "was taken under circumstances that led police to believe that (she is) in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."
Sena’s devastated parents are just praying for her safe return. "I just want my daughter back," her mother, Trisha Sena, told the Albany Times Union.
She was a student at Corinth Central Elementary School and had recently been chosen as a class representative on the student council.
When did Charlotte Sena go missing?
Sena went missing on Saturday while visiting Moreau Lake State Park, just 15 minutes away from Greenfield, where she and her two sisters were raised.
Before dusk fell on Saturday, the nine-year-old and two close friends went on a bike ride around Loop A of the park.
They rode loops around the trail and although her friends decided to head back, Charlotte wanted to go around one last time by herself.
Parents David and Trisha became concerned after fifteen minutes went by and she hadn't arrived back at the campsite. They yelled her name, and when she didn't answer, everyone—including strangers from other campgrounds—left their food to search for the nine-year-old.
Thirty minutes later, at 6.37 pm, Trisha finally decided to call the police. Officials arrived at the scene at around 7 pm.
After an initial search, police found Sena’s bike near Loop A, but there were no signs of the fourth grader. At around 9.35 am on Sunday, the New York State Police issued an Amber Alert "for a child abduction" that had taken place at approximately 6.45 the previous evening.
Since then, over 100 personnel including 75 law enforcement officials have been deployed in the search which also includes dogs, two drones, two boats, and six underwater rescue teams, according to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.
What did law enforcement say about Charlotte Sena’s disappearance?
Joined by law enforcement members, Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference Sunday morning to provide updates on the search for Sena.
"They were here to make memories - the kind that lasts a lifetime," she said, adding, "But instead, the day turned into every parent's nightmare."
The state governor continued by adding that she had met with the girl's parents. "As a mother, as a grandmother, I cannot imagine the pain they're going through. They shared with me how joyful their little girl is," she said.
Hochul described the little girl as "the kind of girl that people wanted to be friends with," and one who looked out for others - "the pride of every parent."
She further noted that Sena was the niece of a member of the Schenectady Fire Department, who is helping with the search. "We are leaving no stone, no branch, no table, no cabin unturned, untouched, unexamined in our search to find Charlotte," she stated.
Hochel said, "Hearts are broken today in New York. Hopefully, there will be a reunion. Hopefully, there will be a family that has been traumatized but reunited."
