New York State Police Capt. Robert McConnell speaks at a news conference, Monday, July 21, 2025, in Latham, N.Y., about the arrest of a Canadian man who reported his 9-year-old daughter missing in upstate New York. (Associated Press/Michael Hill)

Police sent an alert to people's phones saying Melina Galanis Frattolin was last seen southbound in a white van on I-87 near exit 22 at 9:40 p.m. Saturday.

Two North Country communities are holding vigils Tuesday evening in memory of the 9-year-old girl that was found dead in Ticonderoga. The reported abduction of Melina Frattolin prompted an Amber Alert very early Sunday morning.

The death of a 9-year-old girl whose father initially said she was missing and possibly abducted is being investigated amid what New York State Police call inconsistencies in the father's account.

The charges Luciano Frattolin faces were not immediately available, but records show he was booked early Monday at the Essex County jail

Police in Warren County issued an AMBER Alert early Sunday for a young girl that was missing. Sources have confirmed to NewsChannel 13’s Mark Mullholland that the girl has been found dead. Police have not yet released any information about where the child was found dead.

Authorities say the father initially said his daughter had been kidnapped, triggering an Amber Alert and multi-state investigation.

Police found a 15-year-old girl with gunshot wounds about 10:40 p.m. on July 19 in one of three incidents of gun violence.