Father of girl, 9, found dead in upstate NY in police custody

ESSEX COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- The father of the 9-year-old girl found dead in Ticonderoga after being reported missing is in police custody.

According to the VINE Database, Luciano Frattolin, 45, is being held at the Essex County Jail.

According to State Police, at about 9:58 p.m., the Warren County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a man reporting his daughter — identified as Melina Frattolin — missing, with a possible abduction, near Exit 22 on the Northway. The initial AMBER Alert had also reported that the 9-year-old was last seen in a white van heading southbound.

The caller was reportedly identified as Frattolin’s father, Luciano Frattolin. Troopers said as officers continued to investigate, law enforcement officials reportedly began to find “inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided.”

The daughter was later found dead in Ticonderoga.

NEWS10 contacted the Essex County Jail for more information, but they could not confirm why Frattolin is being held or if charges have been filed.

New York State Police will be holding a press conference at the state police barracks in Latham later Monday morning.