The community is praying for the safe return of a missing, 5-year-old girl



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Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly led dozens of people in prayer on Saturday night at a baseball field adjacent to the playground where five-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez disappeared more than five days ago .

"I really believe in my heart, she's alive somewhere," Kelly said as residents of Bridgeton and nearby towns held candles during a vigil for the girl.

Abad Perez, Dulce's uncle, pleaded for the safe return of his niece to those at the vigil. He was standing in the center of a circle that was gathered around him in a sea of ​​yellow shirts – the shirt of the same color that Dulce wore when she disappeared.

"As a father, I beg you," he said in Spanish at the end of the vigil. "Maybe you'll see that, but please make my niece. Please, I beg you. "

"She did not hurt anyone, she's an innocent girl who loves to play games. What is the reason she disappeared? Anyone who sees something. Today, we need information. Support the police. We want the girl to come back, we want her to come home. If you like it. "He said.

Dulce's mother, 19-year-old Noema Alavez Perez, has been pleading for the return of her daughter since her disappearance.

The 5-year-old girl disappeared Monday shortly after 16 hours. After attending a playground in the park with his mother, Alavez Perez, 3-year-old brother and an 8-year-old parent, said. The surveillance video obtained by 6abc showed that the group had purchased ice at a Sunoco gas station before going to the small playground of the 1,000 acre park.

The vigil was organized by Jackie Rodriguez, who is not related to the family. She said that she contacted Dulce's family after the news of her possible abduction.

"If God forbid, it would happen to my children, I would like all possible help," said Rodriguez, who has three children.

Those present at the vigil could not recall that a well-known case of missing persons occurred in Bridgeton before.

"It's really scary," said Chris Howard, a resident of the city forever. "We have a lot of kids here who are still playing in the park. It's scary because you never hear anything like it. I mean, you do, but not in your community. "

Dulce's mother told the police that she had taken the children to the park's playground and had stayed in the car with the 8-year-old parent while Dulce and her brother were running to the school. Playground. The police estimated that the playground is located about 30 meters from the car park.

A few minutes later, his son returned to the car crying and showing where he saw Dulce for the last time, police said. He told his mother that someone had knocked him off his ice cream, had already announced the mother.

Alvarez Perez said that she had phoned her brother after a search for 10 to 15 minutes, and then warned the police shortly after 5 pm. Dulce's research was developed by air and ground on Friday.

An Amber alert was issued Tuesday night after a witness reported seeing a man take the girl to a red pickup truck with a sliding door and tinted windows before moving away.

The man had previously been described as a suspect, but Cumberland County Attorney, Jennifer Webb-McRae, said that he was a person with whom the police would just like to speak.

He is described as a fair-skinned man, perhaps Hispanic, about 5 feet 6 inches tall. He did not have a face, a thin build and an acne in his face and wore orange sneakers, red pants and a black shirt.

Dulce is about 3 feet 5 inches and has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with an elephant photo, black and white pants and white shoes.

A $ 35,000 reward was collected for Dulce's return.

Anyone with information about Dulce is asked to call the Missing Persons Service of the New Jersey State Police at 609-882-2000, ext. 2554, or the Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033. Tipping can also be called by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI and selecting option 4, then option 8.

Journalist Sophie Nieto-Munoz contributed to this article.

Rebecca Panico can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico.

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