ESSEX COUNTY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Authorities have charged the father of a 9-year-old girl, who was discovered deceased in Ticonderoga, New York, after being reported missing. The charges include murder and the concealment of her body, as confirmed by state police on Monday.

On Saturday, just before 10 p.m., the Warren County Sheriff’s Office received a report from Luciano Frattolin, 45, claiming his daughter, Melina Frattolin, might have been kidnapped. An AMBER Alert issued early Sunday described the 9-year-old as last seen in a white van traveling south on the Northway.

Authorities revealed that Melina’s body was found on Sunday at approximately 10:50 a.m., in the shallow waters of a pond in Ticonderoga. According to court documents, her father is accused of concealing her body under a log.

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, the 9-year-old girl was seen on video surveillance at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, police said. About an hour later, Melina reportedly spoke with her mother on the phone to tell her they were on their way back to Canada. According to State Police, she appeared to be in good health and under no duress.

Both Frattolin and his daughter are residents of Montreal, Canada. State Police said that he and his daughter had legally entered the United States on July 11 for vacation and were expected to return to Canada on Sunday, where she would be returned to the full-time custody of her mother. The father and mother have reportedly been estranged since 2019.

“The investigation has determined, sometime after Melina’s phone call with her mother and before Mr. Frattolin’s 911 call, he allegedly murdered Melina and left her body in a remote area where she was later discovered by law enforcement,” State Police Troop G Captain Robert McConnell said during Monday’s press conference.

New York State Police said Monday during a press conference that Frattolin is now being held at the Essex County Jail.

Luciano Frattolin has been charged with second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse, State Police said. He was arraigned at Ticonderoga Town Court at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty.

On Sunday, troopers said that law enforcement officials involved in the investigation found “inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided.”

When asked about the “inconsistencies” during Monday’s press conference, Captain Robert A. McConnell said that Luciano initially reported that he had pulled over in the area of exit 22 in Lake George to urinate in a wooded area. He said that, when he returned to his car, Melina was missing, with a “suspicious white van” fleeing from the scene.

In a subsequent interview, the father allegedly said that “two unknown males forced” his daughter into a white van. State Police reportedly investigated his claims and found that they were “fabricated.”

The cause of death for Melina is still pending, with an autopsy scheduled for later on Monday. Frattolin, who reportedly had no prior criminal history or history of domestic violence, will be prosecuted in New York State. A felony hearing is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.