Family members and community supporters gathered at Bridgeton City Park this week to mark seven years since Dulce Maria Alavez vanished from the playground where her mother last saw her on a swing. Dulce was just 5 years old when she disappeared in 2019, and would be 12 today, in seventh grade, had she not gone missing.
The annual gathering, organized by Brenda Trinidad, is meant to raise awareness and keep hope alive that Dulce will be found, according to 6abc Philadelphia. Dulce's mother, Noema Alavez, said of the anniversary, “It's really hard,” and said she wants whoever is responsible to bring her daughter home. Per the same report, families return to the event each year to honor Dulce and maintain public awareness.
Dulce disappeared within roughly 20 minutes of arriving at the park playground on September 16, 2019, after her mother had taken her, her 3-year-old brother, and an 8-year-old relative for ice cream beforehand, according to the Missing Pieces Network. Noema Alavez was in her vehicle about 30 yards away helping the older relative with homework when Dulce vanished while playing with her younger brother. Bridgeton Police have described a person of interest as a light-skinned Hispanic male between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8 with a thin build and facial acne, wearing orange sneakers, red pants, and a black shirt, reported leading a young girl toward a red van with sliding side doors and dark-tinted windows.
A Case That Drew Federal Attention
The FBI added Dulce to its national Most Wanted list for missing and kidnapped persons in September 2019 and deployed its Child Abduction Rapid Deployment unit to Cumberland County. A combined reward of $75,000 remains available for information leading to Dulce's whereabouts. The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office and Bridgeton Police have interviewed hundreds of individuals and coordinated investigation efforts across 11 states and Mexico, according to New Jersey 101.5.
Federal immigration agents detained and questioned Edgar Martinez-Santiago, the 27-year-old boyfriend of Dulce's mother who was expecting a child with her, shortly after the disappearance, though no family members or associates were ever charged or formally named as suspects, per Patch. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also issued a public statement assuring Bridgeton's immigrant community that non-U.S. citizens could report tips without fear of immigration status checks, addressing fears that had initially hampered tip gathering.
Age-Progression Images and New Technology
Police have released age-progression images showing what Dulce might have looked like, with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children involved in creating them. Loved ones hope the images, combined with the yearly gathering, will generate information that helps investigators, per the 6abc report.
Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae announced last September that investigators had begun using artificial intelligence tools to re-examine existing tips, evidence, and leads as the case reached its six-year mark, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. Prosecutors noted they had previously tracked down every vehicle remotely matching the red van description. The case also drew television attention.
Community Keeps Dulce's Name Alive
Beyond the annual gathering, the community created a permanent memorial garden in Dulce's honor at Bridgeton City Park, and a persistent memorial shrine remains along the park's baseball field fence, decorated with yellow ribbons, candles, and signs matching the yellow koala shirt Dulce wore when she vanished. Trinidad said the community tries to keep Dulce's name alive, and said the person responsible took advantage of the day Dulce came to the park.
The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said the case has not been solved and that authorities remain committed to finding those responsible, with investigators continuing to review tips and develop leads. Alavez said the family will not stop until Dulce is found, and loved ones say they will not give up searching for her. Authorities ask anyone with information to contact the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office, the New Jersey State Police, or the FBI.
