Two days after the 9-year-old was believed to have been abducted at a New York campground, authorities announced they have found her alive and “in good health.”
New York State Police were able to locate the young girl after their investigation “identified an individual as being in the area of the Moreau Lake State Park around the time Charlotte went missing,” according to an Oct. 2 news release.
A search into the individual’s known residences led investigators to find Charlotte at approximately 6:32 p.m. local time on Oct. 2, according to the police. The suspect was taken into custody on the same night.
An investigation is ongoing and authorities have not released the name of the suspect.
“This investigation is a culmination of multiple agencies working together for the common goal of bringing this child home to her loving family,” the New York State Police said in a statement. “We cannot emphasize enough how appreciative we are for the support we received from Charlotte’s community, friends and family.”
Charlotte’s safe return home puts to end a harrowing two-day search. She was first reported missing on Sept. 30, when she “disappeared almost into thin air” while riding her bike during a camping trip with family, according to her aunt Jené Sena.
“It was minutes,” Jené told NBC News, “minutes between when she was last seen and when she wasn’t there anymore.”
Her disappearance activated an Amber Alert for what officials described on Oct. 1 as a “child abduction” near Moreau Lake State Park. The alert read, “The child was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death.”
At the time, Jené described the situation as “heart-wrenching.”
“I don’t doubt that she would figure out a way to escape if she were being held,” she told NBC News. “I don’t doubt that she would figure out a way to somehow call for help.”
In other news – Striking Hollywood actors resume contract talks
Negotiators for striking Hollywood actors resumed contract talks on Monday with representatives of major studios, television networks and streaming services, marking the first time the two sides have returned to the bargaining table since mid-July.
Renewed talks between the SAG-AFTRA actors union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) came eight days after the producers clinched a separate contract deal with Hollywood writers, who launched their own strike on May 2, about 10 weeks before the actors. Read More
