Police in Everman continued their ongoing search for missing 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez on Monday, including returning to a recently poured concrete slab investigators excavated last week.
Everman Chief of Police C.W. Spencer said on April 6 the investigation into the boy's disappearance had transitioned from a missing persons investigation into a death investigation after they reached the "very unfortunate, unimaginable, and devasting conclusion that Noel is likely deceased."
Officials said the last time they could confirm someone had seen the boy was six months ago and that at the time he appeared unhealthy and malnourished. Additionally, police have found no evidence to support claims he was now living with other family members or had been sold to a woman outside a local grocery store.
A team of investigators returned to the family's rented home on Wisteria Drive on Monday to continue their ongoing search for the missing child. They were joined by volunteers with Texas Search and Rescue, or TEXSAR, a group of expert first responders who have provided help in search and rescue operations around the state at no cost for two decades.
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“They volunteer their time, their money, their efforts. It’s all on a volunteer basis. They are professionally trained, some of the best of the best,” said Todd Snyder, TEXSAR’s missing person unit director. “Obviously every case is important but it’s a special place in your heart when it involves a child.”
Spencer said they planned to search wooded areas to the north and east of the family's rented residence on foot, on horseback, and by air with drones.
“They’ve obviously brought a lot to the table that we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Spencer. “We’re doing everything that we can, making sure we don’t leave any stone unturned on this case."
CONCRETE PORCH INVESTIGATED AGAIN
Chief Spencer said the decision was made to take advantage of TEXSAR’s resources to re-examine the patio area behind the home where the family had recently poured a concrete slab. Crews began digging under the slab with a backhoe, sledgehammer, and other heavy tools at about 4 p.m. Monday.
Nearly 12 hours later, at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Spencer confirmed that nothing had been found under the concrete slab and that the search there had concluded.
The area was of interest, Spencer said, because evidence showed Noel’s mother had recently hired a contractor to work on the patio in the past month. He said that new concrete was poured as part of that project.
"Cindy is the one who paid for the concrete patio. She doesn't own the home. We find that very odd that she would spend the funds on somebody else's home to put in a concrete patio," said Spencer. "Especially one as large and elaborate as this. This is a pretty hefty investment."
Everman Police were at the home a week ago using ground-penetrating radar to look under the porch. The radar showed an anomaly in a small section of the concrete. Spencer said it indicated that there was either an object or disturbance of the dirt detected by the radar and that it was the only anomaly found in the entire patio.
Police excavated the area last week, but found nothing. With the additional resources available this week, investigators wanted to take another look underneath the slab.
"We're doing an excavation to make sure we haven't missed anything," he said. "We've gotten the property owner's permission, we've been working with him and we're being as thorough as possible."
PROPERTY OWNER BELIEVES BOY IS ALIVE IN MEXICO
Charles Parsons, the man who owns the property the family lived on, told NBC 5 Tuesday morning that he was a close friend to the family and has a picture of him holding Noel up on his wall.
Parsons said Noel's mother, Cindy Singh, poured the slab because he intended to leave his property to her when he died and that she treated it as her own.
"I think they just tore it up because they don't have ... no idea where the boy is and they're frustrated," Parsons said.
Parsons said he thinks Noel is alive and is living in Mexico with his family.
"I know the police are desperate to find the boy, but they are looking in the wrong place is all I can say. He is not here," Parsons said, adding that Noel's mother told him months ago that the child is living with an aunt in Mexico after his father said he didn't want to take custody.
Spencer said previously that investigators have talked to the boy's father several times and he said his son is not with him in Mexico. Spencer said, at this point, they have no reason to doubt the father's statements and that the father has reached out to them as well for updates on the case involving his missing son.
VIGIL HELD MONDAY NIGHT FOR MISSING EVERMAN BOY
Monday night, Everman Police took part in a vigil for Noel as a way to bring peace to the community. It was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. behind the Everman Civic Center on 213 North Race Street.
“I wish I could give them more than this. I think we all want some sort of closure in this case and that’s our ultimate goal,” said Spencer.
In the crowd on Monday night was the boy’s foster mom, Patricia Paris. Spencer said he spoke to Paris ahead of the vigil. Spencer said Paris fostered Noel a couple of years ago and described him as cheerful.
Spencer said he also had the opportunity to see videos of Noel while he was under the care of Paris. He said the videos only reignited his spirit to recommit to the case and find justice.
BOY'S MOTHER, STEPFATHER BELIEVED TO BE IN INDIA
Meanwhile, investigators are still working to find, arrest, and extradite the boy's mother, Cindy Singh, and her husband Arshdeep Singh, both of whom left for India with their six other children after police started looking into the boy's wellbeing in March.
Spencer said the FBI is still working with its contact abroad to find the couple.
"They've obviously got contacts that we don't have. We'll continue to work with them and the U.S. Marshal's Office and hopefully locate her and get her back," he said. "We need her and her husband here so we can talk with them because we have a lot of unanswered questions."
