Everman Police are continuing to look for clues in the disappearance of a 6-year-old boy whose immediate family has apparently traveled abroad without him while dispelling rumors the child has been found or was sold.
According to Everman Chief of Police Craig Spencer, investigators on Monday searched the property where the family of Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez lived looking for any evidence that may help them in their ongoing search. Spencer added investigators have found nothing indicating a crime has occurred and they have not found any clues pointing them in the direction of the missing boy.
Police began looking for Noel after family members expressed concern about his safety and added that he's not been seen since November 2022. Police issued an Amber Alert on Friday but it was discontinued the next day and an Endangered Missing Alert was issued in its place.
Police said the boy was born at 25 weeks and has numerous physical disabilities and developmental disorders. He also suffers from a social disorder and has chronic lung disease. He's described as Hispanic, 4 feet tall, weighing about 50 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
The chief said investigators need to talk with Noel's mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, who he said is "not willing to cooperate with investigators" and his stepfather, Arshdeep Singh. Spencer said the boy's mother, stepfather, and six siblings are believed to have traveled to Turkey and on to India without him, though investigators are still working to confirm the flight manifest and exactly who was onboard.
Spencer said the family's Chevrolet pickup truck, the one included on the Amber Alert with a unique mural on the back window, was located in a parking lot at DFW International Airport. Spencer said some of the items found by investigators include a child's electronic travel visa obtained on March 21, one day after a welfare check was done.
The mother previously said her son was visiting his father in Mexico. Spencer said the boy's father, who had been deported, told them his son is not with him. Police said the man is cooperating in the investigation and has called to get updates on the search for his missing son.
Police said the boy's family has also been cooperating with detectives, though some statements about when he was last seen have been disproven. Spencer said that it's not yet clear whether those statements were intentionally deceitful.
On Monday, Everman Police searched the property where the boy's 9-member family lived. Spencer described the residence as a large, converted shed that was in the backyard of another man's property and that the property owner had been very cooperative in the investigation.
Spencer said the family still had personal property at the residence and that it didn't look like the family had cleared out. He added investigators did search the property Monday with cadaver dogs but that it was done more to "check a box" and to do their due diligence in the ongoing search.
According to Spencer, investigators have not found any evidence to suggest the boy has been harmed or that a crime has occurred. He said only after they obtain more evidence or learn where the boy is can they determine if a crime has been committed and only then would it be prudent to discuss persons of interest or possible charges.
Lastly, Spencer addressed rumors circulating among the community that the child had either been found or sold. Spencer said the boy's location is still unknown and that they have found no evidence to suggest the child had been trafficked but that they are investigating every possibility.
During a news conference Monday afternoon, Spencer thanked the local news media for continuing to keep the case in front of the public. He also thanked members of the community for sending tips and urged them to continue sharing every detail, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, by calling the Everman Police Department at 817-293-2923.
The chief confirmed Monday afternoon that there have been previous investigations into the child's mother by CPS and that action had been taken as a result of those investigations, he said he was unable to elaborate. He did say the woman was the custodial parent to all seven children.
Sign up for our Breaking Newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
