On Sep. 16, 2019, Noema Alavez was sitting in her car scratching off a lottery ticket while her two kids played at a nearby playground in Bridgeton, New Jersey. A few minutes later she went to check on them. She then realized her 5-year-old daughter Dulce María Alavez was gone. Some people on the basketball court next to the playground told Noema that Dulce ran behind some sheds at the same time two men were walking by and that perhaps one of those men took her. Noema then called 911.
A police search ensued -- with help from state and federal authorities. Despite what the girls on the basketball court said, police stated they did not have evidence of an abduction—a requirement for an Amber Alert.
“Through the early morning, we were still hoping to find the child was maybe in the brush or had gotten tangled up,” the Bridgeton Police Chief said.
As the hours ticked by, Noema begged officials for an Amber Alert. Then, 29 hours after police arrived on scene, an Amber Alert was issued, describing a suspect and the car Dulce was believed to be taken in. But without cameras in the park, police couldn’t corroborate the witness statements that led to the Amber Alert.
The disappearance of Dulce María Alavez
Police have continued to investigate tips—going across the country and to Mexico. Local law enforcement officials have also kept a close eye on Dulce’s family—executing a search warrant at her home years after she went missing. But to this day, Dulce remains missing.
Four years after Dulce’s disappearance, NBC10 investigative reporter Claudia Vargas took a fresh look at the case. She retraced Dulce’s last known steps and spoke with the girl’s family and case investigators.
“Somebody Knows Something: The Disappearance of Dulce” premiered Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. on NBC10 and the NBC10 streaming channels. In the days leading up to the special, NBC10 aired the following stories:
The Latest on the search for Dulce María Alavez
Since 5-year-old Dulce María Alavez went missing from Bridgeton City Park in 2019, law enforcement officials have been following up on hundreds of tips -- from tracking down red cars to checking out psychic readings. Police have also traveled across the country and to Mexico in search of answers to Dulce’s disappearance. But Dulce has yet to be found. And last year, police executed a search warrant at Dulce’s family’s home -- indicating that police still believe her family may know more than what they are letting on.
Security at the park where Dulce went missing
The playground at Bridgeton City Park was not equipped with surveillance cameras when Dulce María Alavez went missing in September 2019. And so, police did not have video capturing what happened to the little girl that led to her disappearance. Based on the witness accounts of a young child and someone older, Dulce was taken by a Hispanic man who police have yet to track down. Since then, Dulce’s mom has been asking city officials to install security cameras at the playground. In late 2020, the city agreed to install several surveillance cameras throughout the park. We tested some of the cameras to see just what it captures.
What would Dulce look like today?
Dulce María Alavez went missing from the Bridgeton City Park in Bridgeton, NJ, when she was 5-years-old and just starting Kindergarten. Presuming she is alive, her face most likely changed as she got older. At the two-year mark of her disappearance, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) issued an age-progression composite of what they thought Dulce would look like at 7-years-old. The hope is that someone in the public will recognize her. The forensic artist who drew it used family pictures of Dulce to get a feel for the girl’s feature traits. But Dulce’s family did not think the composite looked anything like Dulce. Now, four years after her disappearance, a forensic artist at NCMEC has created a new rendering and officials released it on Thursday, Sept. 14.
Delay in the Amber Alert
When Noema Alavez called 911 to report her daughter, Dulce, missing, she told police that some people on the basketball court said they saw her daughter running behind some sheds at the same time as two men were walking by. Noema shared on the line that the girls at the court said one of the men may have taken her. When police arrived on scene, they intensely searched the woods, expecting to find her lost in there. At the same time, because Dulce was under the age of 13, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office activated its Child Abduction Response Team. But even through the next morning, the Bridgeton Police chief said there was no evidence of an abduction. Still, Dulce’s mom asked police to issue an Amber Alert. It wasn’t until 29 hours after police arrived on scene that New Jersey State Police issued an Amber Alert detailing Dulce’s suspected abduction and abductor. Questions remain if the delay hindered the investigation.
Vigil brings awareness for Dulce
Dulce's family gathered at the park in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on Saturday, Sept. 16 for a vigil to bring awareness to the missing girl. They were joined by the mayor, police chief and community members who held yellow balloons. Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly led a prayer asking for help as the search continues.
How to share tips
