Latest news with #Ticonderoga
National Post
2 hours ago
- National Post
Americans hold vigil for Canadian girl, 9, found dead in a pond
Residents of an upstate New York town gathered Tuesday night to shed tears and light candles for a nine-year-old Montreal girl whose body was found in their community over the weekend. Article content Scores of people in Ticonderoga gathered at a local park for an emotional tribute to nine-year-old Melina Frattolin. Article content As 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' played softly from a speaker, people lit each other's candles, wiped away tears and bowed their heads as a prayer was read. Article content Article content Her 45-year-old father has been charged with second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse. Luciano Frattolin, a Montreal resident, has pleaded not guilty. Article content Article content Ticonderoga resident Bridgette Cruz, who organized the vigil, said her heart is shattered for Melina's mother and loved ones. Article content 'She was supposed to be taken care of, and I can't fathom as a mother the pain that she's enduring in her heart, and the suffering,' she said ahead of the vigil. 'It truly is a tragedy, not just for this town but two nations.' Article content She says the little girl would forever be a part of the community, even if she didn't live there. Article content 'This little girl was not from here but we're going to love her like she was from Ticonderoga,' Cruz said. Article content Matthew Courtright, president and CEO of the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, said the whole community had been affected by the death. Article content Article content 'In the face of tragedy, in the face of issues, we always come together,' he said. 'People step up and we support each other.' Article content Article content At the vigil, a bouquet of flowers and a small stuffed animal were set on a table. Next to it sat two pieces of artwork, with a message in a child's handwriting that read, 'RIP Melina. You were loved by a lot of people.' Article content As the sun set across the park, illuminating the open spaces and a bubbling waterfall, many of the vigil attendees expressed incomprehension at how a father could allegedly have killed his child. Article content Article content 'Hearing about the father, it's devastating,' said Annette Hurlburt. 'I have a nine-year old nephew and I can't imagine this happening to him.' Article content She said many residents of the town received an Amber Alert when Melina went missing, and had hoped for her safe return. Article content Hurlburt said her message was to encourage anyone who is struggling to seek help before it's too late. 'If you are in a situation and you need to seek help, so tragedies like this don't happen, I would recommend getting help,' she said. Article content
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ticonderoga community remembers 9-year-old Melina Frattolin with Tuesday night vigil
A community shaken after nine-year-old Melina Frattolin was found dead in the small New York town of Ticonderoga on Sunday. Her death was ruled a homicide. Her father, Luciano Frattolin of Montreal is being charged in her death. He pled not guilty Monday to charges of second degree murder and concealment of a corpse.
CBC
12 hours ago
- CBC
Montreal girl allegedly killed by father was drowned, initial autopsy finds
'This is her soul's resting place,' says organizer of vigil honoring Melina Frattolin in Ticonderoga, N.Y. An autopsy has found that a nine-year-old Montreal girl allegedly killed by her father over the weekend was drowned. The preliminary findings of the autopsy, which were released on Tuesday by New York State Police, found Melina Frattolin died by asphyxia due to drowning and her death was a homicide. The results will have to be confirmed by further laboratory testing. Melina's body was found Sunday in the shallow water of a pond in Ticonderoga, N.Y., about 50 kilometres east of Lake George, near the New York-Vermont border. Her father, 45-year-old Montrealer Luciano Frattolin, was charged on Monday with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He appeared at the Ticonderoga town court on Monday. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment, according to court officials. His case is expected to return to court on Friday. Father 'fabricated' abduction: police In a news conference on Monday following Frattolin's arrest, New York State Police outlined the timeline of events. They say Frattolin first reported his daughter's disappearance to local police at around 10 p.m. last Saturday while they were travelling in the United States. An Amber Alert was triggered. Police say he told investigators that he'd left his car to urinate in a wooded area and that his daughter was gone when he returned. He reported a white van fleeing the scene southbound. In a subsequent interview, he mentioned two unknown men who forced Melina into the white van. New York State Police confirmed that the father had "fabricated the initial report of the abduction." 'She will be one of us' Details about how Melina died were released just hours before people gathered for a vigil at Percy Thompson Centennial Park in Ticonderoga — a small town of about 4,700 people located about 200 kilometres south of Montreal. There were speeches and solemn music, while candles were lit and people joined together in prayer. With her voice shaking, Bridgette Cruz, a Ticonderoga resident who organized the vigil, told the crowd that "no child should be left on the side of the road." "If this is where her sweet soul was found, then this is her soul's resting place," Cruz said. "She will be one of us." Prior to the event, Cruz told CBC News the vigil was meant to highlight the collective grief felt by people, including parents, on both sides of the border. "I feel like we kind of need a little closure here in this town for her," she said. Photogallery | Vigil for Melina Frattolin held in Ticonderoga, N.Y. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Police seek public's help In addition to the preliminary autopsy findings, police released images of a grey 2024 Toyota Prius, the car in which the father and daughter travelled. They are urging anyone who saw it to contact authorities by calling 518-873-2750 or emailing crimetip@ They said they were specifically looking for people who may have come across the car driving in the areas of I-87 north between exits 28 and 20 on Saturday evening. Details of Frattolin's financial situation began to surface on Monday. He owes more than $150,000 to Scotiabank, according to two separate court cases. The bank alleges he entered into credit agreements between 2023 and 2024 related to his business, Gambella Coffee. Frattolin is also seeking more than $115,000 in damages from business partners whom he says he entrusted to run an Airbnb on Bernard Street in Montreal in 2022, according to court documents. On Monday, police said the investigation had not yet uncovered a possible motive for the alleged murder.
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Vigil held in New York state for nine-year-old Montreal girl found in pond
People gather at a vigil for a nine-year-old Montreal girl whose body was found in their community over the weekend, in Ticonderoga, New York on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov TICONDEROGA — Residents of an upstate New York town have held a candlelight vigil for a nine-year-old Montreal girl whose body was found in their community over the weekend. Scores of people in Ticonderoga gathered at a local park in an emotional tribute to nine-year-old Melina Frattolin. The young girl was found dead in a shallow pond on Sunday in an alleged homicide. Her 45-year-old father has been charged with second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse. Ticonderoga resident Bridgette Cruz says her heart is shattered for Melina's mother and loved ones. She says the little girl will forever be a part of the community, even if she didn't live there. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.
CBC
13 hours ago
- CBC
Vigil held in New York for Montreal girl allegedly killed by father
Vigil held in New York for Montreal girl allegedly killed by father | Hanomansing Tonight News Duration 3:48 A vigil was held in Ticonderoga, N.Y., Tuesday evening to remember Melina Frattolin, a nine-year-old Montreal girl whose body was found in the shallow water of a pond in the town on Sunday. Her father has been charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
