Luciano Frattolin was booked into Essex County Jail at 2:04 a.m. after his daughter, Melina, was found dead in shallow water in Ticonderoga near Lake George on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

The dad — who was accused of earlier filing a bogus kidnapping report — was charged with second-degree murder as well as unlawful disposal of a body.

He had first reported his daughter missing on Saturday while traveling with her to the Lake George area.

Following his call, police issued an alert saying the girl was in “imminent danger” of death after supposedly being seen in a white van at around 7:40 p.m. on Saturday on I-87 near exit 22.

However, after her body was found late Sunday evening, investigators said there were no indications she had been abducted and that her father’s story contained inconsistencies, WRGB reported.

Her body was discovered in a shallow pond just over 30 miles northeast of Lake George near the New York/Vermont border after a multiagency search, New York State Police said at Monday’s press conference.

The father and daughter had been traveling in the United States for the weekend and visited several locations in Connecticut and New York, the NYSP said.

Frattolin and his daughter were seen on video surveillance in Saratoga Springs at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, police said.

Melina even contacted her mother by phone at around 6:30 p.m. shortly before the pair were scheduled to fly back to Quebec, and was in good health, police said.

Frattolin allegedly murdered Melina some time after that phone call and left her body in the area where it was found, according to state police.

Melina’s parents were estranged since 2019 and she lived with her mother in Quebec, according to police.

She was authorized to travel with her father who had no previous criminal history or domestic violence history.

Melina’s mother had no previous concerns for her daughter’s safety, police said.

She was authorized to travel with her father who had no previous criminal history or domestic violence history.

Frattolin, who was born in Ethiopia, is the founder of a Montreal-based company called Gambella Coffee, according to the company’s website.

He described his “beautiful” daughter as “the light of his life” and his “inspiration” in the bio on his company’s site.

“His pursuits for building a more equitable and just world are deeply guided by his determination that she will not have to endure the same social injustices that he encountered throughout his childhood,” the bio reads.

“Melina has also taught Luciano to let go of his rigid tendencies to keep everything in ‘perfect order’ — his love for Melina’s messy art projects and chaotic ensemble of toys supersedes his love for a meticulously spotless home.”

A cause of death for Melina is pending, with an autopsy expected today, and the motive is still under investigation, according to police.

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