NEW JERSEY – Investigators sought to dispel talk of an arrest while also expanding their search on Saturday in areas where a 5-year-old New Jersey girl disappeared.
The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office even went so far as to repost the rumor about a possible arrest in the case, saying numerous sources have contacted authorities to see if the talk was true. Patch will not post specific information abot the rumor.
“This post is FALSE,” the Saturday post said. “The family of Dulce Maria Alavez continues to cooperate with this investigation. (No one) has been arrested for actions in relation to Dulce’s disappearance.”
“Each time someone posts a false rumor like this, it pulls our attention away from doing all that we can to locate Dulce,” the CCPO added. “We are still pursuing any and all leads that may lead to us to locate Dulce. We thank the public for their continued cooperation.”
The FBI and other investigators also issued a warning to the public just as the family’s behavior has drawn criticism since an Amber Alert was issued. The FBI and other agencies are offering rewards that total $35,000 for information that leads to the whereabouts of Dulce Maria Alavez.
The FBI told the public that it should not spread rumors on social media regarding the search for Dulce Maria Alavez.
The FBI added on Twitter: “Information is being released through official channels. Don’t be responsible for distracting the focus of everyone’s efforts. Let’s unite to #findDulce.”
The warning comes as the girl’s mother, Noema Alavez, said she’s stopped going to the park where her daughter disappeared she’s been dealing with an increasing level of criticism. The Amber Alert remained in effect on Saturday as the search expanded in South Jersey.
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Her boyfriend, Edgar Martinez-Santiago, 27, a Mexican citizen who is not the father of Dulce, also is now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, the agency said, and investigators say they hope to interview him.
Noema Alavez told NJ Advance Media that Martinez-Santiago is the father of her unborn child, and she is 5-months pregnant.
Alavez also claims that police were suggesting that her family could have been involved – something she denies – and that her car was towed for inspection. She told NJ Advance Media that a few people grew angry when they saw her eating pizza in the park area.
She also told The Philadelphia Inquirer that people criticized her on Facebook because of her past drug use, adding that she no longer smokes marijuana. She took down her Facebook page as a result.
“They’re saying I didn’t love my kids and I just gave my kids away to someone … and that supposedly my mom was prostituting me,” she said told NJ Avance Media.
On Thursday, Dulce’s grandmother appeared with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office to make a tearful plea for the 5-year-old’s return.
The FBI also has made appeals on Twitter while its Child Abduction Rapid Deployment unit has involved itself in the search.
Dulce is a Hispanic female who is approximately 3 feet tall, weighing 60-70 pounds and having brown eyes, and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, with an elephant, as well as black-and-white pants and white shoes, police said.
Detectives believe Dulce was taken by a light-skinned Hispanic male, 5-feet-6-inches to 5-feet-8 inches tall with a thin build, having facial acne, no facial hair and wearing orange sneakers, red pants and a black shirt.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at (609) 882-2000 ext. 2857, the Bridgeton Police Department at (856) 451-0033 or CALL 911 immediately.
Here is a timeline of events and what we know as of Saturday: