The man accused of kidnapping Charlotte Sena had reportedly been charged with choking another person during a domestic dispute in 2017.
Craig Nelson Ross Jr., 46, was arrested in April 2017 after police responded to a “physical domestic dispute,” according to NBC News.
Ross “applied pressure” to the victim’s throat during an altercation, according to police. The victim’s gender was not revealed.
He was charged with a misdemeanor for criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. He was released on his “own recognizance” after being arraigned, police records, viewed by NBC, said. It was not clear how the case was adjudicated.
Now, Ross has been charged with the kidnapping of Sena, nine, and he was arrested Monday. Sena, who disappeared at Moreau Lake State Park while riding her bike, was found in a cupboard inside the trailer he was living in in his mother’s backyard.
He was taken into custody with some resistance, according to New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
He was hooked to the case after his fingerprints were found on a ransom note that was left in the Sena’s mailbox. The fingerprints matched a 1999 case, where Ross was arrested for a DWI in Saratoga Springs.
A state trooper, who was guarding the home, has now fallen under scrutiny for not arresting Ross when he allegedly dropped the note off in the mailbox. There has been no allegation that the trooper mishandled the incident, but the New York State Police are investigating whether Ross should have been arrested at the time, the sources told the Albany Times-Union.
Ross, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was arrested in his underwear around 14 hours after dropping off the note.
Ross has been charged with first-degree kidnapping and is being held in Saratoga County jail as authorities continue their investigation.
Cops are also probing whether or not to charge Ross’ mother – whose property he was living on.
New York State Police Lt. Col. Richard Allen said they have interviewed the mother.
“The mother was in the house, which is directly in front of the camper which is in the backyard,” Allen, who led the desperate 48-hour search for Charlotte, told Chris Cuomo on NewsNation Tuesday evening. “We are working with her and interviewing her and as far as charges on her, it’s, it’s too early to say what may or may not happen there. We’re still trying to determine what she did know and didn’t know at the time.”