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The Montreal father of the nine-year-old girl who was found dead after being reported missing in northeastern New York was arrested Monday morning, according to VINE — a system that allows victims of crime in the U.S. to obtain information about criminal cases.
A news release from New York State Police says officers from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a man who said his nine-year-old daughter was missing from the area of Exit 22 of I-87 in Lake George, possibly due to an abduction, on Saturday just before 10 p.m. ET.
They say the child was identified as Canadian resident Melina Frattolin, and her father as 45-year-old Luciano Frattolin. Both father and daughter were identified by authorities as residents of Canada.
The release says the Warren County Sheriff’s Office initially led the investigation but, as the case progressed, officers identified inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline of Melina’s disappearance.
Police in New York say with the help of several local agencies, Melina was found dead on Sunday in Ticonderoga, N.Y., about 50 kilometres east of Lake George near the New York-Vermont border.
Law enforcement officials said a news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday.
No indication abduction occurred, police say
The investigation has been turned over to the New York State Police. They said there is no indication at this time that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public.
No charges were mentioned in the news release. New York State Police did not immediately respond to questions about Melina’s death.
On the website of a company called Gambella Coffee, the girl’s father is described as someone who “spends as much time as he can in Montreal, Canada with his beautiful daughter Melina.”
The company is headquartered in downtown Montreal.
Melina is the “light of his life, she is the inspiration for…well, everything,” the website reads.