Craig Ross Jr: Neighbors of Charlotte Sena's suspected kidnapper stunned over 'quiet' man's actions
MOREAU, NEW YORK: Craig Ross Jr, the man accused of kidnapping nine-year-old Charlotte Sena, has been described as a "quiet and recluse" man by neighbors, who were stunned to learn of his alleged involvement in the crime.
Ross, 46, was arrested on Monday, October 2, for the abduction of Sena, who went missing while biking in Moreau Lake State Park in Upstate New York. Fortunately, the young girl was discovered in a cabinet of a camper where Ross supposedly lived.
Neighbors left 'shocked' by Craig Ross Jr actions
Neighbors revealed that Craig Ross Jr had been suffering from multiple sclerosis and had returned to live on his mother's property in Ballston Spa, New York, approximately a month ago due to his deteriorating health.
His struggle with multiple sclerosis apparently left him unable to navigate his property in Porters Corner, and he had fallen behind on payments.
One neighbor described Ross as a "quiet neighbor" who moved into the area shortly before the alleged kidnapping.
"This was his home up until about four weeks ago, he had to move back into the trailer with his mom because his MS got so bad," said a neighbor, adding, "He was pretty reclusive, he moved in shortly after us," as per New York Post.
(New York State Police)
Ross was known to care for his 11-year-old daughter on his former property, and his two sons reportedly lived with him there.
Notably, his former residence is located less than two miles from Cena's family home.
Neighbors also reported that Ross rarely spoke to those in the neighborhood and was often seen working in his yard. He moved into a trailer behind his mother's house as his multiple sclerosis worsened.
Consequentially, Ross' quiet demeanor and unexpected alleged involvement in the kidnapping shocked the neighbors.
What led to Craig Ross Jr's arrest?
The alleged kidnapping plot of Craig Ross was foiled when his fingerprints, found on a ransom note left in the family's mailbox of Charlotte Sena, matched with those from a previous case.
Governor Kathy Hochul revealed, "He literally drove up to the family’s mailbox, assuming they were not home [at] 4:20 in the morning, opens the mailbox and inserts the ransom note leaving the critical piece of evidence behind — his own fingerprint."
Ross was taken into custody "after some resistance" and is currently held without bond at the Saratoga County Jail and faces one count of kidnapping, with more charges expected.
Authorities are expected to question him extensively to determine if he had targeted the Sena family and to investigate any possible connections to other child abduction cases, according to Newsweek.