Key facts
- Name: Dulce Maria Alavez
- Born: April 25, 2014, Bridgeton, New Jersey
- Age at disappearance: 5
- Last seen: September 16, 2019, ~4–6 p.m.
- Location: Bridgeton City Park, Bridgeton, New Jersey
- Status: Still missing — believed abducted; active investigation
- Investigating agency: Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office; New Jersey State Police; FBI
Ten minutes
The family had stopped for ice cream bars first. On the afternoon of September 16, 2019, five-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez and her three-year-old brother were playing on the swings at Bridgeton City Park in Bridgeton, New Jersey, while their mother, Noema Alavez Perez, sat in the parked car about thirty yards away — scratching a lottery ticket, helping a younger relative with homework.
About ten minutes later, she went to check on them. Her son was alone by the swings, crying, his ice cream on the ground. The boy pointed toward the dense brush beside the park.
Dulce was gone.
No one saw exactly what happened. A witness later reported a man near the playground around that time: a light-skinned Hispanic male, around 5’8″. A red van was mentioned in the area. Police searched the park, the surrounding woods, the nearby neighborhoods. Nothing. No trace of Dulce has ever been found.
Investigators believe it was a crime of opportunity — someone saw a moment and took it.
Who Dulce was
Dulce Maria Alavez was five years old, a Bridgeton girl on an ordinary late-summer afternoon with her little brother. In the years since, her family has kept her visible the only way they can: annual vigils at Bridgeton City Park, where supporters gather every September. At the seventh-anniversary vigil on September 16, 2026, her mother spoke publicly about the case — how hard it is for her to visit any park now, and her enduring belief that Dulce can still come home. Dulce would have turned 12 in April 2026.
The investigation
The case drew national attention within days, and the investigation has never closed. The FBI joined early; the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, led from day one by Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, has worked it with the New Jersey State Police for seven years.
The reward picture tells you how seriously the case has been taken: the FBI offers $5,000 for information leading to Dulce’s whereabouts, and the total available reward from various sources — including the Lakewood Scoop and Dr. Phil — has reached $75,000.
There have been painful false chapters. In late 2025, a social media post claiming hunters had found Dulce’s body went viral; Webb-McRae had to publicly debunk it: “Please be advised that these reports are not confirmed and are untrue. No one has reported finding remains at this time.” No arrest has ever been made. No suspect has ever been publicly named.
But the case is moving, not frozen. In September 2026, marking seven years, the FBI released a new age-progressed image showing what Dulce might look like at 12 (an earlier 2021 age-progression had drawn criticism as inaccurate and was replaced). Officials have said investigators are using AI to take a fresh look at the evidence, reviewing the case with the State Police and developing new leads from tips. “The investigation remains active,” the prosecutor’s office said at the seventh anniversary. Family and community members gathered for a vigil on September 16, 2026 — seven years to the day.
Theories: what might have happened
Seven years, no arrest, no remains. The evidence supports one central theory and leaves the rest as questions.
Abduction by a stranger — a crime of opportunity. This is the investigators’ working theory, and the facts fit it best: a five-year-old, briefly unwatched, in a public park; a witness’s description of an unfamiliar man nearby; a red van mentioned in the area; no trace afterward. The ten-minute window is the whole case — someone saw the moment and acted. What undercuts a fuller picture: no confirmed sighting of the taking, no identified man, no van ever tied to it.
Someone known to the family. As in every child abduction, investigators looked at the circle around Dulce. Nothing public has ever pointed there — no arrest, no named suspect, and the investigation’s posture has consistently treated this as a stranger crime. This remains a ruled-out direction only insofar as seven years have produced nothing in it.
She is alive. The theory her mother holds: that Dulce was taken to be kept, and could still come home. Age-progression images exist precisely because investigators consider it possible. Seven years without a confirmed sighting makes it a hope rather than an evidence-based conclusion — but it is the hope the entire investigation is built around.
Have information?
Contact the FBI: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678. You can also reach the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office or the New Jersey State Police. Up to $75,000 in rewards is available. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- April 25, 2014 — Dulce Maria Alavez is born in Bridgeton, New Jersey.
- September 16, 2019, ~4–6 p.m. — Dulce vanishes from the swings at Bridgeton City Park while her mother is in the car 30 yards away; her brother is found alone, crying.
- September 2019 — FBI joins; national media coverage; $75,000 total reward posted.
- 2021 — First NCMEC age-progression image released, criticized, and replaced.
- 2025 — Viral false report of remains found is debunked by the prosecutor.
- October 2025 — The Original Sin Podcast releases an episode on Dulce’s case (iHeart).
- September 2026 — FBI releases a new age-12 progression (NCMEC); AI review of evidence reported; investigation remains active.
- September 16, 2026 — Seventh-anniversary vigil in Bridgeton; investigation remains active.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Dulce Maria Alavez still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Dulce has been missing for seven years. The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office says the investigation remains active.
What happened to Dulce Maria Alavez?
On September 16, 2019, the 5-year-old vanished from a playground at Bridgeton City Park while playing with her younger brother. Investigators believe she was abducted in a crime of opportunity.
Was Dulce Alavez ever found?
No. In 2025, a viral social media post claiming her body had been found was confirmed false by the prosecutor. No trace of Dulce has ever been found.
How old would Dulce Maria Alavez be today?
Dulce was born April 25, 2014 — she turned 12 in April 2026.
What is the reward in the Dulce Alavez case?
The FBI offers $5,000; combined rewards from various sources total $75,000.
Was anyone arrested?
No. No arrest has ever been made and no suspect has been publicly named.
How can I help?
Share this case file and her age-progressed images. Tips: FBI 1-800-225-5324, or NCMEC 1-800-843-5678.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office (Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae statements); New Jersey State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation ($5,000 reward; age-progression releases); National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
- News: WPST, “No remains found in Dulce Maria Alavez case, prosecutor says” and “FBI releases new image of missing NJ girl Dulce Alavez” (Sept 2026); 105.7 The Hawk, “7 Years Later, NJ’s Dulce Alavez Case Still Has No Answers” (Sept 2026); Community News / Press of Atlantic City, “Bridgeton Vigil Marks Seven Years” (Sept 2026); NBC10 Philadelphia.
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Dulce Maria Alavez” (retrieved Oct 2026).
- Media: The Original Sin Podcast, Dulce Maria Alavez episode (Oct 10, 2025), iHeart.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.
Corrections (Oct 2026): Removed the unverified “New Jersey State Police: 1-856-415-7420” tip-line number (could not be sourced; FBI and NCMEC numbers retained). Removed the unverified “orange sneakers” detail from the witness description (sourced record: light-skinned Hispanic male, ~5’8″, red van — Time, Oct 2019 via Wikipedia). Removed unverified “Tangled-themed birthday gathering” and “dedicated tree” details, and the claim of a 2026 extended podcast interview by the mother (podcast episode verified as Oct 2025 release on iHeart; mother’s 2026 public remarks verified only via seventh-anniversary vigil coverage — The Sun, NJ Today News, Sept 2026). Corrected the podcast source citation accordingly. Verified: Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae has led the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office since January 2010 (Prism News; Front Runner NJ), so “led from day one” stands.