Police say missing Texas 6-year-old who mom allegedly called 'evil' is most likely dead
04/07/2023 12:34 pm PDT
EVERMAN, Texas (TCD) -- Police announced this week they are switching their search for a missing child to a death investigation in the disappearance and likely killing of 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez.
According to a March 25 statement, CPS notified the Everman Police Department that Noel’s family had not seen the boy since November 2022. He reportedly suffers "numerous physical and developmental challenges and family members have expressed great concern for his safety."
Police reportedly received information that Noel could be in Mexico with his father, but officials "determined that information was false." Everman Police issued an arrest warrant for his mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh.
On March 22, Rodriguez-Singh reportedly boarded a plane from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and traveled to India with her husband and six children, but Noel was not with them. Everman Police said they did not know Rodriguez-Singh planned to leave the country and they did not have any warrants for her arrest at the time. Investigators learned, however, that Rodriguez-Singh reportedly paid for a new concrete porch to be poured at her house.
Everman Police obtained arrest warrants for Rodriguez-Singh and her husband for abandoning or endangering a child.
Rodriguez-Singh allegedly told people that she "sold Noel to someone at a Fiesta Market store," but police debunked the claim and said they "have not found any evidence to support that Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez was sold."
In a statement Thursday, April 6, Everman Police officials announced their search for Noel was transitioning to a death investigation. Police said Rodriguez-Singh "was known by relatives to be abusive and neglectful to Noel."
On one occasion, she allegedly hit him in the face with her keys because he drank water. She also is accused of not feeding him or giving him water because she "did not like changing Noel’s dirty diapers."
Noel was last seen July 21, 2022, by a speech therapist. He missed several other medical appointments around this time, so the Texas Department of State Health Services sent letters to Rodriguez-Singh warning her that she needed to ensure Noel attended all appointments to continue receiving benefits.
Police allege Rodriguez-Singh asked a friend’s son to pretend to be Noel at one of the appointments so she could still get her benefits, but she allegedly pretended her son had COVID-19.
Everman Police investigators confirmed Noel was alive in October when Rodriguez-Singh gave birth to twins and when they left the hospital. He reportedly looked "unhealthy and malnourished."
According to the statement, Rodriguez-Singh allegedly told people Noel was "possessed" and "evil." Some witnesses reportedly told police Rodriguez-Singh thought Noel was going to hurt the twins when they were born.
In early November, Rodriguez-Singh applied for passports for her children, but not for Noel. She allegedly told people different stories about Noel’s whereabouts, including that he was in Mexico with his father and aunt and that he was sold to someone else in the Fiesta Market parking lot.
Police said they have been able to disprove those stories.
Rodriguez-Singh reportedly remains in India, and police are hoping to extradite her back to the U.S.
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