Police in Texas believe a missing child may have been sold by his mother to a woman at a grocery store.
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez was announced missing on 25 March, and a search has been underway since. The child was last seen at a dwelling in the backyard of another home. He, his mother, stepfather, and six siblings lived in the dwelling, according to a tip given to police by Child Protective Services.
A few days after conducting a welfare check on the family, police learned that the child's mother, stepfather, and siblings left the country on a flight to Turkey. They then possibly continued on to India, according to television news outlet WFAA.
On 25 March an Amber alert was issued for the boy, and the next day the alert was changed to an endangered missing person report.
Police contacted relatives of the family, including the brother of Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, the boy's mother. He reportedly told police that she had sold the child to an unknown woman at a Fiesta Mart, according to a warrant.
He told investigators not to contact the woman who allegedly bought the child, fearing that his sister could be reported to CPS.
Police in Everman, Texas, told WFAA that there is thus far no evidence the child was actually sold, but noted some family members said they hadn’t seen the boy since November.
Noel is believed to be severely disabled.
"We've taken it very serious and we've been investigating that allegation. The other thing to consider... there have been multiple stories told about the whereabouts of Noel over the month," Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer told the outlet.
During a 20 March welfare check Noel was not present, and Ms Rodriguez-Singh reportedly told police he was with his biological father in Mexico.
CPS investigators found the father, who had been deported to Mexico before Noel was born, and did not find the boy. The father said he had never met the child, a statement CPS officials believe to be true.
Details in the warrant suggest a troubling existence for Noel before his disappearance. Ms Rodriguez-Singh's brother told investigators she instructed him not to give the boy water because "she did not want to clean up after him if he had a dirty diaper."
The brother said he gave the boy water regardless, which he says resulted in his sister hitting Noel with car keys. He said that was the last time he saw the boy.
"We are looking at everything ... the home, any documents, electronic devices left behind, we're looking at cellphone and vehicle geo data," Mr Spencer said. "We are truly leaving no stone unturned."
