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What happened to Melina Frattolin? Canadian dad held as daughter found dead in NY after Lake George Amber Alert
Authorities found Melina Frattolin dead after an Amber Alert was issued for the 9-year-old girl. Her father is in custody.
Melina Frattolin, a 9-year-old girl whose disappearance sparked an Amber Alert on Sunday, found dead in Ticonderoga near the New York-Vermont border, as per NY State Police.
Melina's father, Luciano Frattolin, 45, notified his missing daughter to Warren County authorities just before 10 pm. According to reports, he hinted to officials that his daughter might have been abducted in the Lake George region.
However, Warren County Sheriff's investigators “identified inconsistencies in the father's account of events and the timeline he provided” after speaking with Frattolin, the state report said.
Melina, as per the Amber Alert, was “in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death.”
Following an intensive search, the girl's body was found 35 miles from the location where her dad claimed to have last seen her.
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Melina Frattolin's father arrested
The authorities, who were investigating the case as an abduction at the time, concluded that the account her father had narrated about the kidnapping was false.
The New York State Police has taken over the probe from the Warren County Sheriff's Office due to jurisdictional issues, the department announced in a statement. “At this time, there is no indication that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public.”
Frattolin and his daughter are citizens of Canada.
As of now, police have taken Luciano in custody and he is being held at the Essex County Jail. The cause of Melina's death remains to be determined.
Who is Luciano Frattolin?
Luciano characterizes himself as a “loving father” on his Instagram profile. He was born in the small, isolated village of Gambella to an Ethiopian mother and an Italian father.
Luciano, who is recognised for commercial endeavours in mining, real estate, and construction, is founder of the downtown Montreal-based Gambella coffee, whose website features a post stating that his daughter Melina is "the light of his life."
“She is the inspiration for, well, everything,” it added.
