Images Courtesy of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Information Courtesy of The Charley Project.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and it is not meant to cause harm to anyone connected with the case. Please do not contact, threaten, harm, malign, or otherwise intimidate those mentioned in the post. Please do not release any personal information of the people mentioned in this post, and do not join in attacks conducted by others. Per U.S. law, every person directly or indirectly connected with this case is innocent until proven guilty.

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About Dulce

Dulce Maria Alavez was born on April 25, 2014, to her mother, Noema, then 14 years old. She would later become a big sister to her younger brother, Manuel, who was three when she disappeared.

Described as a “sweet,” “nice,” and “loving” girl, Dulce loved to pretend to be a princess and loved being with younger children. In one interview, Noema stated that her daughter “always liked to give hugs…and kisses.” Like many children, her favorite holiday was Christmas, and she had started Kindergarten about a week before her disappearance.

Presumably because of Noema’s young age, she shared custody of Dulce and Manuel with her parents. Noema, who was pregnant at the time, lived apart from the rest of the family in a room at a nearby residence. Dulce’s birth father had exited his daughter’s life when she was three years old. At the time of her disappearance, he lived in Sinaloa, Mexico, and hadn’t had any communication with her.

Disappearance

On the day of her disappearance, Noema took her eight-year-old sister, Dulce, and Manuel to a local store to get ice cream. Once they purchased the treats, they went to Bridgeton City Park (located behind Bridgeton High School) and arrived shortly after 4 PM.

Once at the park, Dulce and Manuel played together on the swings while Noema and her sister remained in the car, which was about 30 yards away. Noema was reportedly scratching off a lottery ticket, and she was about to help her sister with her homework. She later stated that she could see the park, but not the swings because they were behind some hills.

At around 4:20 PM, Manuel raced back to the car in tears, his ice cream lying on the ground. Noema asked him where Dulce was. According to his accounts, she ran towards some red maintenance sheds near the playground. After searching the nearby area for about 30 minutes, no one could find a trace of her. Even her coconut water ice was missing. After running out of ideas for where to search and not finding her daughter, Noema called the police at 4:51 PM.

Investigation

From all accounts, the police responded quickly, eager to find the missing girl. Over the next two days, they launched a massive search. Several law enforcement agencies and K-9 units joined the efforts. Despite their dedication, they couldn’t find any sign of her.

While the searches occurred, the authorities also interviewed witnesses. With all of the information they gathered, they got a description of the person who might have taken the young girl:

• a light-skinned man (possibly Hispanic)
• thin build, no facial hair
• 5’6″-5’8″
• wearing a black shirt, red pants, and orange sneakers (possibly Nike brand)

The authorities also believe that he led the girl to a red van with tinted windows and a sliding door, and then drove off with her.

Unfortunately, leads started to dry up within days of her disappearance, even as the reward for information climbed to $35,000. Even after the reward was raised to over $50,000, there was still very little information to work with. Meanwhile, the family and community organized prayer vigils for Dulce’s safe return. Her family repeatedly begged for the girl’s safe return but to no avail.

The next break in her case came about a month later, when the authorities released an artist’s rendering of a “possible witness” in Dulce’s case. At the time, they made it clear that this man was not a suspect or a person of interest. They simply wished to speak with him.

This man was reportedly at the park when Dulce disappeared, and he was seen with one or two children under 5 years old. It’s unknown if either child was Dulce, and descriptions of these children are unavailable as of this writing.

In early December 2019, Noema appeared on Dr. Phil to discuss her daughter’s disappearance. During the interview, she revealed that she believed her daughter was playing hide-and-seek. She denied having any involvement in her daughter’s disappearance, as well as denying any knowledge of who could’ve been responsible.

When he asked for Noema to name someone who could’ve been responsible, she responded “an old friend [she] used to know.” According to her account, this “old friend” was a man who wanted to date her, but she rejected him. She wouldn’t name this man, and the authorities have never found any evidence that he was involved.

Dr. Phil also interviewed a family friend named Jackie Rodriguez. She didn’t believe Noema had done anything to harm the child, but she stated some concerns.

She seems too calm. I feel like she knows her child is OK. She’s missing her, but she knows she’s OK,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve never seen her freaking out. I’ve seen her cry just once.

Jackie Rodriguez, in an interview with Dr. Phil

Dr. Phil echoed these sentiments. He noted that out of all of the interviews he’s done with the mothers of missing children, she was the calmest. That being said, when he asked Noema to speak to her daughter in Spanish, she began to cry and speak more eloquently.

Since then, Dulce’s case has grown cold. Rumors have circulated that Noema either knows more about her daughter’s disappearance or was directly responsible. However, little evidence has surfaced in the years since. The community still remembers the young girl and still works to keep her name in the spotlight.

Most recently, a new age-progressed photo was released in September 2023, the fourth anniversary of Dulce’s disappearance. Within a week, the authorities received 12 tips with information and sightings. The sightings centered mainly around the New Jersey area, although one sighting placed her in Pennsylvania. As of this writing, these tips have not resulted in any breaks in the case.

Since then, the family has held events to remember Dulce every December (for Christmas), April (for her birthday), and September (the anniversary of her disappearance). Dulce Maria Alavez remains missing.

My Thoughts

The disappearance of Dulce Maria Alavez is haunting, tragic, and frustrating. A young girl goes to the park with her mom, her younger brother, and her mother’s younger sister. Children go to parks with their families and friends every day, and most of the time, they come home safely. But that didn’t happen for Dulce. Instead, she’s been missing for over four years, and police are no closer to finding her. Since then, a void has been left in her absence, and her loved ones are still fighting to bring her home.

When it comes to this case, there are three main theories people believe:

• Dulce ran away/got lost.
• Dulce was abducted by a stranger.
• Dulce’s mother, Noema, was involved in her daughter’s disappearance.

Let’s address these one by one.

First, we have the theory that Dulce ran away or got lost. At first glance, this seems like a possible theory. She was only 5 years old, and little kids are known for getting into dangerous situations. Even Noema thought that she was playing a game at first. However, she was at a playground in an urban area at 4 PM. There were plenty of people who would’ve noticed a young girl walking alone. But no one reported seeing her by herself. All of the witnesses who came forward talked about an unknown man who might have been involved.

Given the number of people in the area, and given that an AMBER alert was released so quickly, I have to believe she would’ve been recovered quickly if she had wandered off. But that never happened. Instead, we have sightings of a potential abductor and rumors that Noema was involved. Because of this, I believe we can safely rule this out as a possibility.

Our next theory is that Dulce was abducted by a stranger. This is certainly possible. The police gathered enough information from witnesses to get a description of the person, and they were even able to release an AMBER alert. Because of how strict the requirements are, they wouldn’t have released one unless they were reasonably sure their information was accurate.

The only problem is that in the years since, no one has come forward to identify this person. If it was a stranger abduction, it leads me to believe that this person either wasn’t from the area or they’re being protected. As far as I’m aware, this man has not been seen in the area since that day. If that’s the case, then he probably fled the state soon after he abducted Dulce.

While many people agree that a stranger abduction is likely, including the authorities, we’re at a dead end until we can identify this man. Until then, it’s difficult to investigate this theory any further.

Our last theory is that Noema, Dulce’s mother, was involved in her daughter’s disappearance. Although the authorities have not named any member of Dulce’s family as a person of interest, many people believe that she knows more. They point out the fact that she let her 5-year-old and 3-year-old play at a park with minimal supervision, as well as her calm demeanor during the Dr. Phil interview.

Even though it’s common for parents to be involved in the disappearances of their children, I don’t know if that’s the case here. At best, these examples are circumstantial evidence, and other explanations must be investigated further. For example, while I agree it’s strange to let a 5-year-old and 3-year-old play outside with minimal supervision, we have to keep Noema’s background in mind. She was a 19-year-old mom with two small kids and one on the way. I don’t know about you, but when I was 19, there’s no way I could’ve been a parent to a single child, never mind two or three. The situation at the park that day might have been her attempt to take a break and catch her breath. It might not have been the wisest choice, but she might not have known what else to do.

As far as the Dr. Phil interview, there are dozens of factors that could’ve contributed to her demeanor. For example:

• She could’ve had stage fright.
• She could’ve been overwhelmed by being on the set, especially with all of the instructions she had to process.
• She could’ve been on antianxiety medications that had a sedative effect, such as Xanax.
• She could’ve been dealing with grief or depression, both of which can affect mood.
• She could’ve been struggling with a language barrier. Remember, English was not her first language, and it’s often harder to use your second language when you’re stressed. I speak Spanish as a second language, and I often prefer using English when I’m under intense stress.
• There could’ve been some cultural differences at play. For example, some cultures value being stoic and not showing any emotions, even during traumatic situations.

Could her behavior have been an admission of guilt? Sure. But it’s just as likely that some or all of these factors contributed. Unless she decides to release this information, we simply won’t know for sure.

The biggest argument I have against the theory is this: If Noema was involved, why would she continue to give interviews years later? Why not just let her case fade from the spotlight? She’s given several interviews over the years, and she’s talked extensively about how much she misses her little girl. Does that sound like a guilty party to you?

At this point, I think that to solve this case, it’s going to take someone coming forward and identifying the suspect, the witness, or both. Unfortunately, that might be a problem. In many immigrant communities, there’s a distrust of the authorities. The reasons vary, but a common concern is that undocumented immigrants will get deported if they speak with the police. It’s going to be on the authorities to build trust with the community. If they know their citizenship status won’t be a part of the conversation, they’ll be more likely to help.

Until that day comes, Dulce will likely remain missing and the case will stall. She might not have a perfect family, but at the end of the day, she’s an innocent little girl. She deserves to be found, and she deserves to have a chance to live her life. At the very least, she deserves a proper burial so that her loved ones can visit her and have a place to mourn.

It’s an absolute shame that we live in a world where innocent children are victimized. But we have a chance to make things right, though. Dulce disappeared in 2019, just over four years ago. There’s a chance she’s still alive out there, but it’s going to take more exposure to find the people who know something.

Please, share this blog post, share the witness descriptions and composite sketch, and tell others about Dulce. She was an innocent 5-year-old girl. Don’t let her be forgotten.

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If you’re looking for more information about the disappearance of Dulce Maria Alavez, there are news articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos. Her case was also featured on shows like Dr. Phil. The following sources helped me as I wrote this post:

• What’s known about a 5-year-old missing for months (ABC, January 16, 2020)
• Mom of missing 5-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez speaks out (ABC, May 31, 2021)
• ‘Why her?’: Mother of missing 5-year-old girl Dulce Maria Alavez wants answers (ABC, October 1, 2019)
• Authorities release sketch of ‘possible witness’ in case of missing 5-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez
• The Charley Project
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Patch.com
• Amber Alert issued for 5-year-old girl who police say was lured into a van (ABC, September 18, 2019)
• Detectives get about 12 tips about Dulce Alavez after release of new rendering of missing N.J. girl (NJ.com; September 19, 2023)
• Community remembers Dulce Alavez at Christmas event 4 years after N.J. girl vanished (NJ.com; December 16, 2023)

If you have any information about the disappearance of Dulce Maria Alavez, please contact the Bridgeton Police Department at 1-856-451-0033. You can also submit tips via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

What do you think happened? Let me know in the comments.