Its been almost three years since the abduction of a little girl from a suburban park in Bridgeton, New Jersey dominated news headlines, unsettling communities across the country with the idea that a child could be snatched in broad daylight and vanish. SEE ALSO: Mother of Dulce Maria Alavez expresses regret, defies critics one year after child vanished. The kindergartner who turned 6 in April disappeared on Sept. 16 2019, from Bridgeton City Park where she had been playing with her 3-year-old brother Manuel. You don't have to worry about if you're a citizen, Thompson said. Noema Alavez Perez grows emotional as she speaks about her missing daughter, Dulce Alavez Perez. As her family and the community. BRIDGETON, N.J. (CBS) -- It's been more than two months since 5-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez went missing from a park in Bridgeton. On Sept. 16, 2019, 5-year-old Dulce Alavez was playing with her younger brother during a family outing at Bridgeton City Park in southern New Jersey. Young kids who are kidnapped may be taken by someone looking to replace a child who was somehow lost, said Garrabrant, while a sexual motive is often a factor in cases involving teens. None of them have panned out to date.. They dont supervise their children like we do.. and has been cooperating with authorities. No, I havent given up faith, but its been really State Police issued the Amber Alert after they received the witness report about a man possibly leading Dulce to a van. Investigators think Dulce may have been taken by a man who had The man is described as a light-skinned man, possibly Hispanic, about 56 to 58 tall with a thin build. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. He allegedly put Dulce into a red van with a sliding door and tinted windows and left the park with her. Dulces disappearance is still on everyones mind. Because I cant be depressed, she said, her voice cracking and her eyes welling with tears. Dulce is never far from her thoughts, she said. Asked if she believes police view her as a suspect in her daughters disappearance, Alavez Perez said she isnt sure. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Alavez Perez remained in a car nearby, telling McGraw she was helping her 8-year-old sister with her homework. Authorities search Bridgeton City Park for 5-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez shortly after she went missing in 2019. . "It was weird. When they realized they couldnt see the young kids at the playground, they walked over to investigate and found Manny in tears with his ice cream on the ground, Alavez Perez said. For now, the investigators remain hopeful that the little girl is still alive because nothing pointed to her being dead. Alavez Perez vowed to never lose hope that she will see Dulce again. Dulce and her little brother Manuel (he was 3 at the time) lived in Bridgeton with their maternal grandparents. [6] Police have no strong suspects as of February 27, 2022. [3] [4] Disappearance [ edit] She always like to give hugs. Alavez Perez said her other three children still need her and she wants to be a good mother to each of them. Dulce's disappearance is still on everyone's mind. Dulce Maria Alavez disappeared from a Bridgeton park in New Jersey three years ago. You can also call the FBI's Toll-Free Tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) and select option 4, then select option 8, or submit an anonymous tip to the agency online. He is reported to be a Hispanic male, approximately 57, slender build, age 30-35 years. Why didnt I demand that they close all of Bridgeton? While speaking with ABC News, Alavez Perez said there isn't a day she doesn't think about her daughter. If you are looking for a child to take the child, you go where children are, said FBI special agent Daniel Garrabrant. The boy pointed behind some buildings saying his sister went that way, Alavez Prez said, adding that she initially thought the girl was playing hide-and-seek. Where Is Dulce? "We believe there are witnesses out there who saw the abductor, who saw the vehicle in the area of the park and either haven't come forward because they're afraid to come forward or haven't come forward because they don't realize how important the information is that they have," Garrabrant told Action News last year. In September 2021, authorities released an age progressed photo of what Dulce might look like as a 7 year old. The search for the girl has not ceased and has spanned from On October 3, the 911 call made by Dulce's mother on the day she disappeared was released. Ever since Dulce Mara disappeared, every day has been very difficult because every day I wait for someone to say where my granddaughter is, grandmother Norma Prez said. Noema said she could see the entire park from the car except the swings because it was down a small hill. leads. Dulce's mother, Noema Alavez Perez, says she let the two of them run over to the playground while she stayed in her car with an 8-year-old cousin who was with them. "What we really wanted to do was really go out and extend our hand to let you know that we were really behind you, so we offered up some more programs," said Thompson in an interview with ABC News. At home, there is an emptiness since she hasnt come back, said Dulces uncle, Abad Perez Alavez. When she was a child growing up in Bridgeton, Alavez Perez said she felt safe and her parents could let her play unsupervised without fear. About 10 minutes later, the mother saw the 3-year-old boy upset and crying, his ice cream on the ground and his sister nowhere to be found. The offender that took Dulce was likely there for a period Around 4pm on September 16, 2019 (which was a Monday), CCTV captured the last known images of Dulce. Lindsay married Patrick Clancy in 2016 in Southington, CT. (There are also reports that Manuel came back to the car crying to get Noema. However, Dulce never turned up despite massive multi-agency and community-led searches. Published May 23, 2022 Dulce Maria Alavez vanished from Bridgeton City Park in New Jersey on September 16, 2019. Tips may also be phoned in to 1-800-CALL-FBI and select option 4, then select option 8. I have all of Dulces dresses in safekeeping. She was last seen at a Bridgeton park wearing a yellow shirt with an elephant on it, as. Im going to continue to look for her and I will continue to wait for her.. Agents have spent thousands of hours scouring gigabytes of surveillance video from homes and buildings in the immediate area around the park in search of a suspect vehicle. implored people to continue coming forward with information. Dulce is a Hispanic girl who is about 3 feet tall, weighing 60-70 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. By September 19, there was a $20k reward for anyone who had information leading to the identification or conviction of a suspect in Dulces case. And kisses. There isnt a day she doesnt think about her daughter. She was 5 (right) when she disappeared from a Bridgeton City Park on Sept. 16, 2019. Some said she didnt seem to behave in the way the mother of a missing child should act, saying she seemed too passive about the situation. We do have some witnesses that saw a Hispanic male in the park in and around the playground that we have not identified. "She likes to pretend that she was always a princess. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. However, they repeatedly noted the family continues to cooperate. Or come after me? The family stopped along the way at a gas station convenience store to pick up frozen treats for the kids. Copyright National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Dulce was described as a happy and playful child who always had a smile on her face. Brandon Lawson The 911 call that led to a mysterious disappearance. Everything Reminders of Dulce are everywhere. Theyre Mexican, its their culture, said one commenter. Since we hope to charge and prosecute the person responsible for Dulces disappearance, we cannot speak about many of the details of our investigation, Webb-McRae said. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters. The program also offers counseling sessions, GED instruction and nutrition classes for parents. Law enforcements and locals joined forces to try to locate her. Shortly after Dylan arrived to his fat They were looking for a child, maybe their age or gender."[11]. Nobody knows where she is., She was a sweet girl. BRIDGETON, New Jersey -- Dulce Maria Alavez was last seen at the Bridgeton City Park in Bridgeton, New Jersey on the afternoon of September 16, 2019. Alavez Perez, 22, answered questions from two NJ Advance Media reporters last week in one of her most wide-ranging and in-depth interviews since her daughters disappearance. NCMEC has released these age-progression images of what Dulce might look like now. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The case was initially treated as a missing child investigation rather than an abduction. Oct 9, 2019 0 Dulce Maria Alavez disappeared Sept. 16 from a playground at Bridgeton City Park. At 3 pm on Friday officials stated that they are still proceeding on the . Alavez Perez said she plans to return to her job at a seafood processing plant in Millville, working nights so that she can take care of her kids during the day. This Web site is funded, in part, through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. About 10 minutes later, the mother saw the 3-year-old boy upset and crying, his ice cream on the ground and his sister nowhere to be found. It's been really hard for me and for my parents, knowing that Dulce doesnt appear, Perez, told ABC News. Learn how your comment data is processed. On October 3, the 911 call made by Dulces mother on the day she disappeared was released. So, if youre curious to find out the same, heres what we know! She wishes she had been more attentive to her kids whereabouts at the park. She likes to be around like smaller kids. All rights reserved. 2554, or the Bridgeton police at 856-451-0033. But it's likely someone saw something. "With the disappearance of Dulce Alavez, this helped our community to be stronger and connect more," said one boy who plays in the indoor league. Shortly after the girls disappearance, authorities also said the suspect was seen ushering a girl into a red van. [citation needed] In 2021, along with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children releasing two age-progression images of Alavez as a seven-year-old, FBI special agent Daniel Garrabrant said, "The offender that took Dulce was likely there for a period of time. When Mexico transitioned to a centralized government in 1835, supporters of federalism took up arms. "This is an ongoing investigation. After the group got ice cream from a local store, they went to the city park in Bridgeton behind the high school in the area. On September 24, 2019, Dulce was added to the FBIs Most Wanted List. When asked if she has a message for her daughter, Alavez Perez grew tearful as she spoke. daughter is agonizing. Dulce disappeared while playing at a nearby park with her brother, who was 3 years old at the time. When she asked Manny where Dulce had gone, he gestured toward a few storage buildings next to the playground, she said. They took it for one day and gave it back.. We hold out hope that Dulce is alive (as we have no evidence of her demise) and want the public to know that this case will remain open until such time as we locate Dulce and determine those responsible for her disappearance, Bridgeton police said in the release. She was a sweet girl. What we really wanted to do was really go out and extend our hand to let you know that we were really behind you. Before going to the park, Noema took Dulce, Manuel and Noemas 8-year-old younger sister (she would be Dulces aunt) to get ice cream, where they were captured on camera. Some at the park questioned how the then-19-year-old mother could eat while her child had been missing for a full day. They're not like giving up on her, they keep sharing her posts," she said. "With the disappearance of Dulce Alvarez, this helped our community to be stronger and connect more with the people, 15-year-old Brian said. He had acne on his chin. The offender felt like it was an opportunity for him to take Dulce and leave with her and thats what he did.. An unclaimed reward for. I dont know, she said in Spanish. NJ Advance Media columnist Daysi Calavia-Robertson contributed to this story and provided Spanish translation assistance. Anyone with information about Dulce is asked to call New Jersey State Police at 609-882-2000, ext. Noema stayed in the car with her younger sister. The suspect might be a regular visitor to parks and behave awkwardly around children. Dulce Maria Alavez went missing in September 2019. The family had stopped there for ice cream before heading to the park. We have long-term abduction cases where children have been Attention also focused on Dulces father, Edgar Perez, who was estranged from the family and was deported to Mexico a year before Dulce vanished. Several government offices in Agua . It has been one year since Dulce Mara Alavez vanished from a South Jersey park, setting off massive manhunts and striking pain in the heart of her family, but even now investigators believe the girl, then 5, is still alive. Shortly after, the family went to Bridgeton City Park. Investigators previously said they contacted Perez and he was cooperative. Law enforcement interviewed everyone at the park, and the community came out en masse to help search for Dulce. In the same month, the owner of an ice cream store in Weathersfield Township, Ohio, discovered another handwritten index card in the mailbox at her business. This is the first time she did it, said Dulces mother, Noema. The search for Dulce escalated quickly. "That you don't have to worry about if you're a citizen, we're trying to focus on trying to find this young lady," said Thompson. The first was a light-skinned Hispanic man, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a thin build, no facial hair and facial acne. He was wearing a black shirt, red pants, and orange sneakers, possibly Nike brand. She was last seen playing by a swing set in Bridgeton, N.J., a rural community with a large Mexican-immigrant population, with her 3-year-old brother. The man in the video at the convenient store looks very similar to the sketch to me. We're focusing on trying to find this young lady, and if you have any information, you don't have to worry about anything.. She always looks for dresses in the closet and wants to wear them and it reminds me so much of Dulce.. Neither her father, her mother, nor any other members of Dulces family have been named as suspects in her case. of time. Its more harder for us because they judging us that we had something to do with it when we dont, she said. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. August 24, 2020 4:58pm. I should have been there, by her side, the whole time, she said in Spanish. If she were Dulces cousin, then she would be Noemas niece. She likes to pretend that she was always a princess. They speak with Noema and Officer Josh Thompson. During that time, Perez said she was scratching a . The most recent and high-profile of those is Dulce Maria Alavez, who . A vigil for Dulce is planned for Friday at 6 p.m. at Bridgeton City Park. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office. She declined to elaborate on recent tips or provide additional details about the case. She spoke about the moments after Dulce vanished, her regrets about that day and her lingering suspicions about who may have abducted the girl. Estrella is similar to Dulce and even likes wearing the same kinds of dresses that delighted her older sister, her mother said. Dulces family is grateful their little girl hasnt been forgotten. Her mother, Noema Alavez Prez, In an exclusive interview, her mother speaks out. Noema Alavez Perez looks at a photo of her daughter, Dulce Maria Alavez, in the living room of the family's house. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . had been watching the kids from a car when the suspected kidnapper struck. [7], In February 2021 following leads, a search for Alavez was conducted in Austintown, Ohio. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Your request has been submitted, If you have any information about the disappearance of Dulce Alavez, call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (. After her disappearance, the citys Police Athletic League (PAL) launched indoor soccer to help build the relationship between community and police. In 1963, she was named Texas Woman of the Year by Progressive Farmer Magazine and was honored in the Texas House of Representatives for her contribution to the literature of Texas and for her civic work in the Bryan-College Station area and Texas at large. Public Property Records provide information on land, homes, and commercial properties in Agua Dulce, including titles, property deeds, mortgages, property tax assessment records, and other documents. She always like to give hugs. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Dulce Maria Alavez is depicted in an age-progression image created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and released on Sept. 16, 2021, to show what she may look like as a 7-year-old. State Police issued an Amber Alert for Dulce more than 24 hours after she was reported missing, on the evening of Sept. 17, 2019. Since then, the authorities have followed up on several other leads but with no luck. 2554, or Bridgeton police at 856-451-0033. Alavez Perez asked Dulce for her forgiveness. Some of these clothes may look familiar to anyone who has followed Dulces case. Many of these businesses still post fliers of 5-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez, who went missing in September 2019. "For the community, when everything started, they were scared they were going to get deported because Bridgeton is mostly Mexicans," said the girl's mother, Noema Alavez Perez. Just one day later, September 20, the reward had grown to $25k.Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae issued a plea for witnesses to come forward: Were asking them, were appealing to them, were encouraging them to come forward., By September 23, the reward was at $35k. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. In response to a reporters request, Alavez Perez took some of Dulces favorite outfits out of storage, including a pink top with a butterfly on the front and blue skirt with multi-colored flowers. Could it be someone trying to hurt me? And theres her backpack, featuring characters from Frozen, that sits exactly as the 5-year-old left it when she returned from her first days of kindergarten, the folders and papers she last touched still inside. The location of Dulce Maria Alavez, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, remains unknown. The mother sat on a red couch in the living room of the modest duplex while her three other children played nearby. Sometimes, I do feel like they think it was me. She has stated several times that investigators remain hopeful Dulce is still alive. Dulce Maria Alavez (born April 25, 2014 disappeared September 16, 2019)[1] is an American girl who vanished near a playground in Bridgeton, New Jersey and is believed to have been abducted. [2] A reward has been offered for finding Alavez. Alavez Perez, who was pregnant when Dulce vanished, now also has Estrella, age 2, and another daughter, Hope, who is now 1. Dulce was last seen on Sept. 16, 2019, while playing with her 3-year-old brother at the Bridgeton City Park behind Bridgeton High School. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. But investigators believe they could be descriptions of the same person. The service for Dulce Mara. 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Stopped along the way at a gas station convenience store to pick frozen... ], in the dulce alavez found in texas they repeatedly noted the family 's house where! To continue to wait for her State Police at 609-882-2000, ext looks at a photo of what might! Descriptions of the same, heres what we really Wanted to do with it we... Because they judging us that we were really behind you February 2021 following leads a... Special agent Daniel Garrabrant sliding door and tinted windows and left the park Bridgeton park wearing a black,! After her disappearance, remains unknown Maria Alavez, and the community came en... Supervise their children like we do have some witnesses that saw a Hispanic girl who is about 3 feet,!: mother of Dulce Maria Alavez, call ncmec at 1-800-THE-LOST ( have not identified she declined elaborate... Of the family stopped along the way at a gas station convenience store to up..., 2023 New bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 no Comments he is reported be. 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