The alleged abductor of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena held her for ransom to get his hands on a portion of a multimillion dollar settlement, according to a new report.
Craig Ross was aware Sena's late grandfather, Patrick, was awarded $2.2 million after he was severely injured in a sledding accident and sued the town of Greenfield, New York, in 1998, the Daily Mail reported. Patrick passed away in 2015, but his sizable payout lives on in his family and was common knowledge among locals like Ross.
Ross allegedly kidnapped Sena and demanded the $50,000 ransom in a note he left at her parent's house because he was "struggling financially," his ex-girlfriend, Amanda Preece, told The Mail.
Preece said the ransom money would have set up Ross for up to five years. She also called Ross a "mooch" because he never wanted to work for money and lived off his mother and girlfriends.
Preece went on to say she believes Ross is "evil" and had been stalking Charlotte and planning her kidnapping for a while.
Last Saturday, Ross allegedly snatched Sena as she rode her bike in Moreau Lake State Park, while the girl was on vacation with her parents in upstate New York.
Police say Ross drove to Sena's home and stuffed the ransom note into her mailbox as investigators were staking out the location.
Cops eventually arrested Ross in his trailer on his mom's property, and he was charged with kidnapping.