Photo: New York State Police Facebook page.
Police in Essex County have arrested Luciano Frattolin, the man who claimed his daughter had been abducted near Lake George last weekend, but was later found dead in Ticonderoga.
According to CBS6, Frattolin is being held at the Essex County Jail in Lewis.
On Saturday night, just before 10 pm, Frattolin called 911 in Warren County. The 45-year-old from Canada reported that his 9-year-old daughter Melina had gone missing and was possibly abducted.
Melina Frattolin, 9 years old, from Canada, had initially been reported missing by her father, but was later found dead. Photo provided by NYS Police
Police issued an Amber Alert around 1:30 am Sunday, warning that Melina may have been taken from Exit 22 on the Northway heading south.
But police said Frattolin’s statements weren’t lining up. “As the case progressed, law enforcement identified inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided,” read a statement from NYS Police.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office, which initially led the investigation, worked with law enforcement from Essex County, Ticonderoga, DEC, NYS Forest Rangers, and NYS Police K9 and Aviation units.
Around 1:30 pm Sunday, Melina was found dead in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga. State Police said there was no indication that an abduction occurred and there was no threat to the public.
Frattolin has been charged with Murder in 2nd degree, a class “A” felony and Concealment of a Human Corpse, a class “E” felony. At a court in Ticonderoga on Monday, Frattoln pleaded not guilty to the charges.