A 9-year-old girl, for whom an Amber Alert was issued as authorities believed she was in an "imminent danger" has been found dead after going missing in Lake George, New York.
On Sunday, July 20, hours after officials issued the alert for Melina Frattolin, the New York State Police announced that she was found dead in Ticonderoga, NY.
Melina's father, Luciano Frattolin, initially called Warren County officials on Saturday night at around 9:58 p.m. local time to report his daughter missing.
After the sheriff’s office took on the investigation, officials "identified inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided."
With the help of multiple agencies in New York State and Essex County, authorities then located Melina in Ticonderoga.
"Due to jurisdictional considerations, the Warren County Sheriff's Office has turned the investigation over to the New York State Police," the agency said in a statement.
"At this time, there is no indication that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public."
According to the state police, both the father and daughter are Canadian residents.
The news of Melina's death came just hours after state police announced in an Amber Alert that the 9-year-old – who was last seen in a white van on Saturday, July 19, at 9:40 p.m. – was "taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death."
As per the now-cancelled Amber Alert, the girl was last seen going southbound on Interstate 87 near exit 22 in the area of Lake George.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Amber Alerts are activated in "the most serious child abduction cases," and a total of 1,268 children have been "recovered" as a result of the alerts since the end of 2024.
