Everman to build inclusive park honoring Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez
EVERMAN, Texas - City leaders in the Fort Worth suburb of Everman approved a plan to memorialize a missing 6-year-old boy who has still not been found. They're building a park in honor of Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez.
In Tuesday’s city council meeting, Everman Mayor Ray Richardson got emotional about the search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez- Alvarez.
"When I go to the mayor’s council and go to various things with people from outside of our community, the first thing they ask me is, ‘Have you found Noel? What’s the latest on Noel?’" he said.
Noel still hasn’t been found. He hasn’t been seen since October and was reported missing in March. His mother, stepfather and siblings fled the country.
The mayor’s main goal is to know how blessed the city’s kids will be at a new inclusive playground named in the boy’s honor as Noel Angel Alvarez Playground.
"That was the whole point, naming it after Noel. It’s the fact that it’ll keep his story alive, and we have his name on something that will remember him for a very long time," Richardson said.
Missing Everman Boy Timeline: Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez's disappearance and the search for his whereabouts
The ‘Angel’ was a last-minute change by city council members they say to properly honor the boy.
Noel’s mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, and his stepfather, Arshdeep Singh, face several charges including abandoning and endangering a child.
Noel’s stepfather also faces a felony theft charge. Investigators say he stole from his employer to help fund the family’s escape to India. Evidence shows he also used a credit card to pay for plane tickets.
"Children shouldn’t have to go through what Noel went through," Richardson said. "So from what we’re hearing, they shouldn’t have to go through that."
There have been numerous searches for his remains on the ground, but he has not yet been found.
"We’re still reviewing any data that comes in as part of the investigation," said Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer. "And then obviously, we are working with the federal partners and awaiting their response on if they’ll be able to apprehend Cindy and Arshdeep and ultimately apprehend him back."
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Missing Everman boy: Area where authorities searched for Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez Saturday cleared
A search for possible remains of 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez on Saturday was focused within a couple square miles surrounding the shed he lived in with eight family members.
Recently, Chief Spencer has asked for a fresh team of investigators to review the case to make sure nothing has been overlooked. Investigators from the FBI and Secret Service are also assisting in the search for the boy’s family.
"I’ve never had to pursue a family in a foreign country before, so that’s unique as well," Spencer said. "Obviously, this case has been very strange from the get-go."
Donations to the park are also being made from the builders to the playground.