The family of a boy who went missing in Texas left the U.S. on a flight to Turkey before an Amber Alert was issued for the 6-year-old over the weekend, authorities say.
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez was first reported missing Saturday when the alert was issued. The alert was discontinued that night and replaced with an Endangered Missing Persons Alert instead.
Police began searching for Noel—who has multiple disabilities and chronic lung disease—after they received an anonymous tip that his family members haven’t seen him since November 2022.
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At a news conference Sunday, police said they changed the alert after they found out that Noel’s mom, stepdad, and siblings had left the U.S. on a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul on March 23. “We currently do not have any physical evidence on Noel’s status as a missing person,” police said. “What we do know is that we have a 6-year-old disabled boy… that is missing and that the mother is not willing to cooperate… to ensure the child is safe.”
Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said Noel’s mom, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, has an “extensive criminal history involving alcohol-related offenses.” After receiving the tip that Noel may be missing, police conducted a welfare check at his home. There, Cindy told officers that Noel had been living in Mexico with his biological father since November, and authorities found no need to investigate further.
Then Child Protective Investigations contacted Everman police later last week to say that Noel’s relatives were still concerned about his whereabouts. CPI had also found Noel’s father in Mexico, and he said he’d been deported before Noel was born and that he’d never so much as met his son.
CPI was then unable to contact Cindy to ask about her children and their school enrollment.
The Amber Alert was first issued when police determined that Noel wasn’t in the custody of other family members. An arrest warrant was also issued for Cindy. On Saturday night, police found out about the flight to Turkey and discovered that Noel had not been listed as a passenger on the plane.
Authorities added that Noel’s stepfather is an immigrant from India and that they are working to try to establish the family’s final destination. Spencer said the family is not believed to have any direct ties to Turkey and that it was possible they may have taken a connecting flight to another country.
In a Facebook update on Sunday evening, Everman Emergency Services said investigators had found a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado that Cindy was seen driving. “Noel is still missing!” the update added. “Please help us find him!”
