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A Texas mom is wanted for the murder of her six-year-old son, after she allegedly claimed to have sold him to a woman at a grocery store.
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, who had disabilities, has not been seen alive since October 2022.
Almost two years on, he is presumed dead and federal authorities are still searching for his mother Cindy Rodriguez Singh, 39, who is wanted on suspicion of his murder.
Police said that Rodriguez Singh described her son as “evil, possessed, or having a demon in him” in the days leading up to his death.
According to a search warrant, Rodriguez Singh, from Dallas, had also allegedly told Noel’s grandmother she had sold him to a woman at a Fiesta Market grocery store in Texas.
Now, the FBI has announced it is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to her arrest.
In a press conference held on Thursday, Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough appealed to the media and public to help with locating the fugitive mother on the run.
“Cindy Rodriguez Singh is wanted for allegedly murdering her own young son,” he said.
“I am confident that the combination of publicity, significant reward offering, and the team of experienced investigators assembled by the FBI Fort Worth Resident Agency violent crime squad, Everman Police Department, Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and Texas DPS-Texas Rangers will lead to her arrest. The community of Everman needs justice for Noel.”
Rodriguez Singh is described as being 5’1” to 5’3” tall, 120 to 140lbs, with medium complexion, tattoos on her back, legs, right arm, right hand and right calf, has brown eyes and hair.
She was last spotted on March 22 2023 and is believed to have ties to India and Mexico.
On March 20 2023, Everman Police Department officers conducted a welfare check on behalf of the boy at the request of Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, who said Noel had not been seen for a month.
During the welfare interview, Rodriguez Singh allegedly told them Noel was living with his biological father in Mexico and had been living there since November 2022, police said.
Three days later, police said they learned from other family members that Noel was not living with his father and that there were concerns for his welfare.
But by then – on 22 March 2023 – Rodriguez Singh, her husband Arshdeep Singh, and their six other children boarded an international flight to India, police said. Noel was not on the flight. The couple had bought the one-way tickets one day earlier, according to NBC DFW.
During the investigation, police learned that Rodriguez-Singh had allegedly worshipped a cult-like folk saint who personifies death.
In October 2023, she was charged with capital murder in Fort Worth, Texas.
A month later, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Rodriguez Singh on the charge of taking an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Almost one year on from the indictment, she remains at large.
In the press conference, Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer admitted that Noel had been failed by authorities.
“So I’m not here to comment on how any agency is going to run,” he said.
“But I will agree with the fact that yes, there have been many failures with this child starting with the family. There were several failures along the way. We’ve talked a lot about how Cindy handled the situation, her comments, we’ve talked a lot and shared with you already how the family was aware of some of these.
“There are some failures for this child. Absolutely. Which is why we’re here today trying to seek justice for those failures.”
He added: “The immediate capture of Cindy Rodriguez Singh is so incredibly important in the interest of justice, the safety of our communities, as well as the safety of the other children in her custody.”
Anyone with information that could help lead to Rodriguez Singh’s arrest is urged to contact the FBI Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000 or online at tips.fbi.gov.