ALBANY, NY (WTEN) — An investigation into the death of nine-year-old Melina Frattolin continues. Her father, Luciano Frattolin, has been charged with second degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He pleaded not guilty.
The charges come after police say he reported his daughter missing, prompting an AMBER Alert on Sunday Morning.
According to the New York State’s website, an Amber Alert can be issued if law enforcement believes an abduction of a child has occurred and the child is believed to be in danger of serious bodily harm and/or death.
“Anytime an AMBER Alert is issued, there is a balance between providing prompt information to the public but also ensuring that information is accurate and reliable,” said New York State Police Captain, Robert McConnell. “We don’t want to numb the public with unvetted alerts. So in this case it was difficult to confirm some of the initial information provided by the suspect.”
According to police, the story Luciano Frattolin told was inconsistent.
“The initial account is that he pulled over in the area of Exit 22 in Lake George,” explained McConnell. “Pulled over to a parking lot to urinate. His initial reports is he stepped away to a wooded area returns to the area and at that point the child is gone from a vehicle. He reports a suspicious white van fleeing the scene south bound. During a subsequent interview, he then reports two unknown males forced her into a white van. That lead was thoroughly investigated and disproven.”
Attorney Bob Babcock, a partner at Tully Rinckey, said a person can be charged with filing a false police report.
“It sounds like in this case, they had enough for the homicide, so they brought the homicide charge up front, along with the concealment of a corpse. They can certainly add on additional charges later,” said Babcock.
However, it remains to be seen if charges will be added. Frattolin will have a felony hearing on Friday.
