Craig Ross Jr, 47, was charged in the early hours of this morning in Wilton Town Court with first-degree kidnapping and is being held without bail
Suspected kidnapper Craig Ross Jr. had recently moved into the caravan where missing Charlotte Sena was found as he was suffering from multiple sclerosis, DailyMail.com can reveal.
The 47-year-old reportedly suffered from the condition so badly that he struggled to get around the property in Porters Corner, New York, and had fallen behind on payments.
He was charged with one count of kidnapping after the nine-year-old girl disappeared while riding her bicycle during a family camping trip at Moreau Lake State Park in upstate New York.
Hulking Ross was arraigned in Wilton Town Court in the early hours of Tuesday and is being held without bail at the Saratoga County Jail in Ballston Spa.
Neighbors told DailyMail.com that the 6ft tall father of three barely spoke and was often working in his garden.
He moved into the trailer at the back of his mother’s property about a month ago after the debilitating condition worsened.
Ross, who looked disheveled in a mugshot released by New York State Police, was described as a “recluse” who would spend half the week caring for his 11-year-old daughter in his $180,000 three-bedroom home.
Ross was arrested at his mother’s trailer in Milton, New York, for allegedly kidnapping 9-year-old Charlotte Sena.
Charlotte was found “alive and safe” on Monday – two days after she was snatched from Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort. She was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital after being found
DailyMail.com can reveal that Ross was reportedly suffering from MS and had just moved into the caravan four weeks ago as his condition had worsened
Federal agents and state troopers raided the home, which is less than two miles from Charlotte’s family property, on Monday evening.
State Troopers remained on scene Tuesday, with tape blocking the driveway to the building and two additional buildings.
A neighbor said: ‘It’s the best case scenario that she’s found. Last night I heard sirens and the whole road was covered with undercover cars, state police and troopers.
‘I asked if I should be worried, and the police asked me to look at pictures and I told them yes, that’s Craig, he owns that house and his sons live there now.
‘They’re in their twenties, I’ve seen them briefly, but they keep to themselves. My kids cycle to his mailbox and that’s about it.
‘He was quite withdrawn, he came to live shortly after us. He built a driveway earlier this year, but it was never completely finished,” the neighbor added.
‘This was his home until about four weeks ago when he had to move back into the caravan with his mum because his MS got so bad.’
Locals confirmed that police had asked them to identify images of Ross, and confirmed that he lived at the property with his two sons.
They added that his daughter spent a lot of time at his home before the incident, and that they never expected the kidnapping to be linked to “the quiet neighbor.”
“Charlotte lives two miles away, so he’s close to her in this rural area,” said another neighbor. ‘I was shocked by all this.
‘His daughter spent a lot of time here, half here and half with her mother. He was alone until recently, when his sons moved in.
‘The soldiers said they planned to interrogate him all night. He has three houses in his name, so we don’t know if he has money problems or what.
‘It’s the sticks here. If you don’t want your relatives in the house, you put them outside.’
State Troopers remained on scene Tuesday, with tape blocking the driveway to the building and two additional buildings
Ross’ house is an active crime scene following his arrest for Charlotte’s kidnapping
Charlotte was found Monday evening in the white trailer in the backyard of Craig Ross Jr.’s home. in Milton, New York.
Ross was ambushed by officers at 4:20 a.m. Monday after leaving a ransom note in the mailbox of the Sena family home in Greenfield.
Troopers had changed shifts and thus missed the opportunity to catch the alleged kidnapper who delivered the message.
Fingerprints on the note matched a 1999 drunken driving charge for Ross in Saratoga, during which police stormed “multiple properties” he was linked to.
Investigators remain at the scene on Barrett Road, Milton, where Charlotte was found cowering in a cupboard in Ross’ caravan.
The building is located at the back of his mother’s estate. New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed at a news conference that his elderly mother Jean was home at the time of the raid.
Ross, who is not a registered sex offender, resisted arrest when officers visited his property but was taken into custody at 6:30 p.m.
Charlotte was taken to Albany Medical Center and was described as being in “good health” before being reunited with her parents.
A motive for the crime is unclear as investigators continue to investigate any possible links between Charlotte’s family and Ross.
Police issued an Amber Alert in the case on Sunday, almost 24 hours after Charlotte was reported missing by her family.
She was found about 13 miles south of her parents’ home.
Charlotte (right) as a younger child with her mother Trisha, father David and sisters
Around 4 a.m. on Monday, someone dropped a ransom note in the mailbox of Charlotte’s parents’ house (see image). It contained traces of Ross Jr.’s DNA
The multi-agency search spanned 47 miles and included 400 searchers and dozens of federal, state and local agencies on the ground.
Charlotte was cycling alone on Loop A of Moreau Lake State Park in New York, near Saratoga Springs, when she disappeared on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.
She was cycling with a friend and family, but said she wanted to do “one last lap” alone before returning to camp.
Her parents called authorities after discovering her bicycle on the trail at 6:47 p.m., while authorities searched the 6,250-acre park and found no trace of her.
Hochul said on Monday evening: ‘We are overjoyed with the news that Charlotte Sena has been safely located this evening after an intensive days-long search. Our hearts are with her family as they welcome her home.
“Thank you to the New York State Police, New York Park Police and everyone who worked so tirelessly to find Charlotte.
“It is thanks to their efforts that Charlotte can safely return to her family.”
An emotional neighbor described the moment she saw Charlotte being rescued from Ross’ caravan, telling DailyMail.com that the little girl was ‘everyone’s child’ when she went missing.
Charlotte’s relieved family held an impromptu press conference and thanked people for their help in finding the little girl
Erica said she had an “out of body experience” when she saw the little girl’s face pass her window as she was carried to the back of an ambulance by SWAT team members.
“She was everyone’s child, everyone here was looking for her,” she said. ‘We didn’t hear anything at all, we had no idea she was sitting next to us in the camper.
‘I completely lost it when we saw them putting her in the back of the ambulance. She seemed fine, but I just wanted to hold her until her mom got there. She was covered with a blanket and taken away.
‘There were at least thirty officers on the way, in camouflage clothing and with guns. “They had a bang and broke into the RV at the back of the house at 6:23 p.m.”
Her husband Michael added that Ross had covered the windows of the RV a few months before Charlotte’s disappearance.
He said: “I grew up next door to Craig, and those kids were never allowed in the house. His mother was a drunkard and shut them out.
‘We took care of him, fed him and cleaned his wounds when he was beaten up. I was surprised he moved back in with her because he hated her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she just ignored what was happening in her backyard.
‘We always got bad feelings from the family, but never anything like this. The fact that he put the tarp over the windows of the RV makes me think that maybe he was planning to do this.
“There were so many people going in and out of that house. The police are certainly looking, or appear to be looking, to see if anyone else was involved.”
Michael says police questioned him about the number of vehicles on the property and who lived in the small house in an effort to determine who kidnapped the young girl.
The couple had no idea that Charlotte had been locked in the caravan next to their house for at least a day.
“We didn’t hear or see anything,” Erica added. “It’s horrible to think she was in there screaming and we had no idea.
‘The officers were so professional and you could hear the sigh of relief when they knew they had her. They were clapping and cheering. It was wonderful to see and hear.’