The father of 8-year-old Melina Galanis Frattolin, whose body was discovered Sunday in upstate New York just hours after an Amber Alert was issued, is now in police custody, according to a report.
Luciano Frattolin, a Canadian entrepreneur from Montreal, was arrested and booked into the Essex County Jail following an investigation into his daughter's death, according to CBS 6. Melina was initially reported missing on Saturday night while the family was visiting the Lake George area.
Authorities said she was last seen around 9:40 p.m. in a white van near exit 22 on I-87. At the time, New York State Police described her disappearance as an apparent kidnapping and issued an Amber Alert citing "imminent danger."
After Melina's body was discovered in Ticonderoga, police retracted the abduction theory, noting that evidence did not support a kidnapping and that there were "inconsistencies" in Frattolin's version of events. Officials have not released a cause of death or said when charges will be formally filed. A press conference is expected later Monday.
Frattolin is known in Montreal for founding Gambella Coffee, a company inspired by his Ethiopian-Italian heritage. In a personal bio, he referred to Melina as "the light of his life" and the reason behind his efforts to build a more equitable world.
In the wake of his arrest, questions remain about what led to the girl's death and why initial reports were so drastically at odds with the outcome. Authorities have yet to provide clarity, and it is unclear whether anyone else is under investigation.
Originally published on Latin Times
