Amber Alert for Dulce Alavez: Unanswered questions regarding the search for a missing 5-year-old girl

While the search for Dulce Maria Alavez, 5, continues Thursday on its eleventh day, many unanswered questions about his disappearance continue to be a problem for investigators.

Dulce was last recorded on a surveillance video buying ice cream at a convenience store on the afternoon of September 16 with her 3-year-old brother, her 8-year-old parent, and her mother, Noema Alavez. Perez, who then took the children to Bridgeton. City Park.

Alavez Perez stayed in the car with the 8-year-old girl while the youngest went to a playground near the 1,000-acre park, she told the police. Around 4:20 pm, Dulce's younger brother returned to the car crying without his older sister, authorities said.

Alavez Perez searched the girl, initially thinking that she was hiding, then called her brother for him to come to the park and help look for Dulce, authorities said. She contacted the police around 5 pm, marking the beginning of a large search operation that has now continued for a second week.

But as the days go by, the mystery deepens and several essential questions remain unanswered.

• Who is the mysterious man with a red pickup truck looked for as a suspect? A witness told police that a man had driven Dulce to a red pickup truck with a sliding door. He is described as a clean-shaven Hispanic, with a slim build and acne on his face. Authorities said it's about 5 feet 8 inches. He wore orange sneakers, red pants and a black shirt, authorities said.
• Who identified the suspect and describes the van? Authorities did not talk much about the witness who provided the description, she only revealed that she had been created after questioning and re-interviewing people in the park this afternoon. There was a group playing basketball on a lot adjacent to the park, but on the first day of the search, the police said that none of them had seen anything that could have happened. 39; help.
• Why did it take more than 24 hours for an Amber Alert to be issued? After Noema, Alavez Perez called the police at 5 pm On September 16, authorities treated Dulce's disappearance as a missing child with intensive search in Bridgeton Municipal Park (1,000 acres). The research included helicopters, infrared cameras and divers in the waterways around the park. A water course was drained. The Amber Alert was broadcast around 10 pm the next day, 17 September, after police reported receiving information from the witness that a man drove Dulce to a red pickup truck.
• Why was Alavez Perez's boyfriend taken over by ICE and released? Alavez Perez's boyfriend, who is not Dulce's father, was interrogated by the investigators and then taken into custody. Edgar Martinez-Santiago, whose mother, according to Dulce, is a Mexican citizen living illegally in the United States, was subsequently released. Alavez Parez said he did not speak English and did not know why he was being detained. The ICE officials have not made any comment other than to confirm his release and Martinez-Santiago "is part of an ongoing investigation by law enforcement partners. at the local, regional and federal levels ".
• Why are the authorities contacting Dulce's father, who is in Mexico? The FBI contacted Edgar Perez, Dulce's father, in Mexico earlier this week to discuss ongoing research, although the reason for the appeal was not revealed.
• Is there another surveillance video that captured Dulce? The only video surveillance provided by the authorities shows Dulce at a Sunoco convenience store buying ice cream on September 16 with his 3-year-old brother, 8-year-old parent, and mother shortly before his disappearance. The authorities have asked residents to look for additional images of the girl or the red van described by the witness in the home security images. A video broadcast on the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia earlier this week, showing a red SUV, was investigated and found to be unrelated to research, authorities said.
• What are the next steps of the research? The investigators said they were pursuing hundreds of FBI-advised advice and hoped that Dulce would be found safe. Bridgeton Police, Cumberland County Attorney's Office, State Police and the FBI are involved in the search.
• How can I help you? You can talk to an FBI agent by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Choose option 4, then option 8. You can reach the Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033. Tipping can also be e-mailed to the police at [email protected]. The Cumberland County Attorney's Office has a secure line of advice submission. However, if you want someone to immediately receive the information, call 856-453-0486, ext. 11100. The state police can be reached at 609-882-2000, ext. 2554. Anyone with photos or videos can download them on the FBI via this online form. A $ 35,000 reward was offered in the case.

Anthony G. Attrino can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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