FORT WORTH, Texas — New photos showing missing 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez’s family fleeing the country were released Friday by the Everman Police Department.
Noel was first reported missing in March, when Texas Child Protective Services received an anonymous tip that the boy hadn’t been seen since October. An Amber Alert was issued March 25.
Everman police posted still images from surveillance video on Facebook of Noel’s mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, and stepfather, Arshdeep Singh, with his siblings at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport when they fled the country in March to India just days before the Amber Alert was issued.
Authorities transitioned the search to a death investigation April 6, saying evidence indicates the boy is likely dead. Noel’s remains have not been found, and the investigation continues.
Cindy and Arshdeep began researching trips to India in early November, police said their evidence shows. Arshdeep stole $10,000 from his employer shortly before his family left from Dallas on a flight that connected to India, investigators found in financial records.
They are both facing charges of endangering and abandoning a child. Arshdeep is also charged with felony theft.
Police on Friday also released body-camera footage from an April 10 search when dogs alerted to the smell of human remains in a dig site underneath a backyard patio — recently built and paid for by Cindy — at the home where the family lived. The video also shows the canines alerting to a carpet that police said was thrown out by Arshdeep in a dumpster behind a convenience store where he used to work and was later found by officers.
“Additional investigators have joined the task force to conduct a thorough review of the investigation to help assure that nothing had been overlooked or missed,” Everman police said Friday in the post. “These investigators have been extremely diligent in their work to push this case forward and ultimately seek justice for Noel.”
Police and volunteers conducted a large-scale ground search of several sites in Everman on April 22. Investigators also have been combing through financial, medical and other records.
“Unfortunately, we do not have any new information that we are able to release at this point. Throughout this case, we have strived to be as transparent and communicative as possible. We will continue to do so as soon as information is available that can be released. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and support as we continue to work through this,” police said.
There has been no update regarding the mother’s and stepfather’s location or whereabouts after fleeing the country, police said, but they believe additional charges would help in extraditing Noel’s parents back to the United States.