What happens after incompetency finding for mom indicted in Everman boy’s death?
After a magistrate found this week that a mother under indictment in Tarrant County for capital murder in the killing of her 6-year-old son is incompetent to stand trial, the task turns to trying to return her thinking to rationality.
A writ of commitment was filed on Wednesday for Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, who is accused of killing Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez.
The Texas criminal procedure code describes the protocol ahead for restoring competency.
Defendants’ needs vary, and any diagnosis made by the psychologist who examined Rodriguez-Singh on March 26 is not publicly clear because the resulting psychiatric evaluation report was filed under seal.
The psychologist determined either that Rodriguez-Singh does not have sufficient ability to consult with her attorney with a reasonable degree of rational understanding or that she does not have a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings.
Competency restoration attempts usually involve medication management and counseling, according to two criminal defense attorneys familiar with competency matters. There are other psychological treatments for some.
“The ‘education’ part is a bit troubling sometimes, because some restoration facilities try to drill into the person’s head the rote answers to typical judicial competency inquiries, rather than truly focusing on the person’s ability to absorb, process and communicate,” attorney Cody Cofer, who is not involved in the Rodriguez-Singh case, said.
Rodriguez-Singh was ordered admitted to a maximum-security unit at a state hospital for an attempt at competency restoration.
Initially, the commitment is 120 days if the defendant is, like Rodriguez-Singh, charged with a felony. This initial period can be extended one time for 60 days.
The count of days begins when commitment commences. For now, Rodriguez-Singh remains at the Lon Evans Corrections Center, part of the Tarrant County jail system.
Law enforcement officers presume that the child, who lived in Everman, is dead.
If Rodriguez-Singh’s competency is restored, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office will proceed in its case without the little boy’s body.
Noel’s speech was limited, and poor vision and a limp were among his developmental disabilities. Everman police have described Rodriguez-Singh as an abusive parent who deprived Noel of food and water because she did not like changing his diaper. At least once she struck him with a set of keys because he drank water, police said. Rodriguez-Singh called Noel evil and a demon, police have said.
Noel has not been seen since the fall of 2022. He was reported missing in March 2023.
Rodriguez-Singh was arrested in New Delhi in August 2025. With her husband and six of her other children, she flew from Dallas-Fort Worth to India when police began searching for Noel in 2023.
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 10:38 AM.
