‘A long time coming’: Everman community reacts to arrest of missing child’s mom
It’s been nearly two-and-a-half years since an Amber Alert was issued for Everman boy Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, but city officials and residents say the missing child isn’t forgotten.
“It’s been emotional around here the last couple of years,” Mayor Ray Richardson told the Star-Telegram on Thursday. “A lot of tears have been shed.”
Even people who didn’t know Noel have been affected by his disappearance, Richardson said. With the Wednesday arrest of Noel’s mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, Richardson hopes they can learn what happened to the missing 6-year-old.
“We want justice for Noel,” Richardson said. “We want to find Noel.”
Rodriguez-Singh, accompanied by her husband and six other children, left the U.S. on March 22, 2023, on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Istanbul and then on to India.
The family’s departure came two days after Everman police officers came to their home to check on Noel after receiving a tip that the boy hadn’t been seen since the previous fall.
Rodriguez-Singh told police the 6-year-old was in Mexico with his biological father. Investigators contacted Noel’s father, who said he’d been deported to Mexico before the child was born and had never met his son.
Noel is presumed dead after an intense search revealed no trace of him. The missing boy had physical and developmental disabilities, and his mother called him “evil” and “possessed by a demon,” police said in 2023.
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Rodriguez-Singh was charged with capital murder in October 2023. She was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in July, and a $250,000 reward was offered for information leading to her arrest.
Indian authorities located Rodriguez-Singh, and the 40-year-old woman is currently being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $10 million bond, according to court records.
Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said in a video post on X that Rodriguez-Singh was deported from India on Wednesday and apprehended by federal agents at the airport in New Delhi.
“We are prepared to seek justice for Noel,” Sorrells said.
“We’re excited; we’re happy she has been apprehended,” Everman Police Department Assistant Chief James Thompson told the Star-Telegram on Thursday. “We’re just waiting to find out more information.”
Everman City Manager and former Chief of Police Craig Spencer said in a statement Wednesday that he’s thankful for all the investigators and community members who refused to stop looking for answers.
“This has been a long and emotional journey,” Spencer said. “One filled with difficult days, long nights, and an unwavering determination to find the truth.”
Noel and his family lived in a converted shed behind a home in the 3700 block of Wisteria Drive. Residents in the area remember hearing about his disappearance and were happy to learn about Rodriguez-Singh’s arrest.
“I hope she gets what ... she deserves, and I hope they find him,” one woman told the Star-Telegram.
Patricia Paris, who served as Noel’s foster mom for a time in 2020 and 2021, said on Facebook that justice is being served with Rodriguez-Singh’s arrest, but the heartbreak continues.
“Her younger children now face life without their mother, and Noel’s father continues to carry the grief of losing a child he never had the chance to know,” Paris posted. “This case has touched many lives.”
In November 2023, a playground that’s accessible for children with disabilities was dedicated to the missing 6-year-old at Clyde Pittman Park in Everman. A photo of Noel, smiling and wearing sunglasses, stands in front of the play area.
Danelle Hall was working out at the Fitness Court in the park Thursday afternoon. He didn’t know the specifics of Noel’s case, but was familiar with his name after seeing his photo at the park. Hall said it was a sad situation and he was surprised something like that had happened in the area.
Sonja Kaiser, the receptionist at Everman City Hall, which is right down the street from the park, said she’s happy Rodriguez-Singh is going to be held accountable.
“I’m just glad there’s been a lot of progress,” Kaiser said. “And this has been a long time coming.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 8:40 PM.
