Everman, Texas, police give updates Monday in search for missing 6-year-old boy
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The search for missing Everman, Texas, child Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez
Here is what’s known about the investigation and the events that police have pieced together so far.
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Everman police said at a press conference Monday that 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez is still missing and they have not found evidence to show whether he is alive or dead.
A Texas Amber Alert was issued Saturday for Noel, who authorities say has severe disabilities and has not been seen since November. The alert was changed to an Endangered Missing Persons alert after it was discovered that Noel’s mother, stepfather and siblings left the country on an international flight without him, police said.
On Monday, police were searching in the yard and inside the family’s home on Wisteria Drive, which is a large converted shed in the yard behind another house. Children’s bikes and a toy car were outside. Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said the shed was essentially converted into a large, one-room space in which all nine people in the family lived.
An older man lives in the main house. He has been cooperative with the investigation and gave authorities permission to search the property, Spencer said.
Police had a cadaver dog on the property Monday but it did not alert to any evidence of a body during the search, according to Spencer, who was at the home with other officers and later spoke at the press conference. He added that authorities have no reason to believe Noel is dead but brought the cadaver dog out “to cover all our bases.”
Police found a pickup truck that belongs to Noel’s mother, 37-year-old Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, at DFW Airport, where the family departed on a flight to Turkey on Thursday. The truck was taken to a secure holding area and searched. Inside, police found a travel visa for one of Rodriguez-Singh’s other six children.
The visa, dated March 21, was obtained one day after authorities made a welfare check at the family’s home, Spencer said. The visa was for travel to India with a stop first in Turkey. Spencer said investigators have not confirmed the specific destination in India or whether the family was on that connecting flight.
Noel’s stepfather, 35-year-old Arshdeep Singh, is from India. Cindy Rodriguez-Singh has four children between ages 7 and 11, and 5-month-old twins with her husband. Police said they cannot yet say for certain how long the two have been in a relationship or when they got married.
During the welfare check, after authorities received an anonymous tip that the 6-year-old was missing, Rodriguez-Singh lied and said Noel was in Mexico with his biological father, according to Spencer. Authorities had no reason to doubt her story at the the time, but police later confirmed that the father was deported before Noel was born and has never met the child, he said.
A rumor has spread online that Noel might have been sold to someone, but police have not found any evidence to confirm that, Spencer said. He said police will investigate every possibility, including that one.
“He could be anywhere,” Spencer said. “It’s hard to speculate whether he’s dead or alive.”
On Monday, authorities towed another vehicle that was in the driveway of the home. There’s no evidence so far to connect that vehicle to the child’s disappearance, but police will keep searching the property until they’re satisfied that they’ve looked at everything that might be useful in the investigation, Spencer said.
Police urged the public to share any information, no matter how small the detail or how long ago they saw the family. Tips can be called in at 817-293-2923. Everman police also have set up an email address for tips at tips@evermantx.net
Noel’s disabilities include a chronic lung disease that requires medical treatment and occasional oxygen treatment. Authorities are investigating when he last received treatment. He has never been enrolled in school, according to police.
Police said they are unable to release specific details about Child Protective Services investigations, but could confirm that there had been prior investigations and actions against Rodriguez-Singh. She also had an extensive criminal history involving alcohol-related offenses.
Police said they have had a lot of cooperation from extended family members, but have heard since-discredited information from some relatives that they’d seen Noel more recently than November. Spencer said they don’t have any reason to believe that those family members were being intentionally deceptive.
Beyond being Cindy Rodriguez-Singh’s neighbor, Jeremy Childers regularly saw her at his job at a Valero store.
She always used the drive-through window with her many children in tow. She only purchased lottery tickets.
“I hate to be dark, but I mean my biggest concern is if nothing bad or wrong has happened, why did you fly to Turkey?” Childers, 45, said.
Once, when he had trouble with his pickup, she offered to give him a ride.
“She didn’t always seem like she had it all together but, I mean, who does with that many kids?” Childers said.
“It’s really sad honestly because apparently that boy has special needs, and I don’t think they’re being met probably at this point.”
As he stood under his carport on Monday, Childers said he knows bad things happen everywhere, but does not often think about them.
“I guess this is one of those times,” he said. “You like to think that it’s all roses out there but, you know, I mean two houses down and there’s a missing child. That’s kind of hard to swallow.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2023 at 12:26 PM.
