Mom on FBI’s Most Wanted List for Alleged Murder of 6-Year-Old Son Is Arrested Nearly 3 Years After Boy Vanished By Samira Asma-Sadeque

A missing 6-year-old’s mother who allegedly fled the country days after police inquired about her son has been apprehended, the FBI says.

The child, Noel Alvarez, was last seen in October 2022 and has since been determined to be deceased by authorities, who announced in April 2023 that the missing persons investigation into him had become a death investigation.

His mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, was just arrested nearly three years after the boy was last seen, the FBI announced on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

The case traces back to a March 2023 welfare check conducted at an Everman, Texas, home where police arrived to inquire about Noel and his six siblings after family members expressed concerns over their well-being, authorities said at the time.

Authorities allege Rodriguez-Singh lied about the child’s whereabouts, claiming he was with his biological father in Mexico.

Days later, Rodriguez-Singh allegedly left for India with her husband Arshdeep Singh, and six other children, whose ages ranged from 5 months to 11 years, the FBI previously said. (Singh is not Noel’s father.) Noel was not on the flight, per investigators.

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Rodriguez-Singh, a mother of seven, was allegedly abusive to Noel, with one witness claiming he was often not fed because she did not want to change his diapers, authorities said.

The investigation revealed that Noel had not been seen since October 2022, when Rodriguez-Singh gave birth to her twins. In one of his last sightings, Noel appeared “malnourished” and “unhealthy,” according to witnesses, authorities have said.

After giving birth to the twins, Rodriguez-Singh allegedly made comments that Noel was “possessed” with a “demon” inside him, and that he would hurt the newborns, authorities said at the time.

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Rodriguez-Singh’s arrest comes within a month after her name was added to FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives,” where authorities offered up to $250,000 as a reward for information leading to her arrest.

She is facing charges of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution and Capital Murder of a person under 10 years of age, per the FBI.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.