A South Jersey Child Vanished 6 Years Ago; Could AI Help Solve The Case?

BRIDGETON, NJ — Investigators are now using artificial intelligence in the search for Dulce Maria Alavez, a child who vanished from a South Jersey park six years ago.

Dulce disappeared from a Bridgeton City Park in Bridgeton on Sept. 16, 2019, when she was 5 years old. Investigators believe she was abducted. An Amber Alert went out, and in the ensuing months, Dulce's face was plastered on billboards far and wide as authorities from local police to the FBI searched for her.

Tuesday marks the six-year anniversary of Dulce's disappearance. Dulce, who would be 11, remains at the top of the FBI's Most Wanted Kidnappings & Missing Persons list.

Despite a lack of answers, investigators continue to pursue leads. Over the past year, case agents have worked closely with the State Police Special Investigations Section, which applies specialized forensics to investigations across New Jersey and is reviewing all evidence that's been collected since the case opened.

State Police also began processing the case through AI, anticipating that it will develop new lines of investigation.

"Six years later, this case remains just as important today as it was on the first day," Col. Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of State Police, said in a statement. "Our detectives, working side by side with the (Cumberland County) Prosecutor's Office and our law enforcement partners, have never stopped pursuing every lead."

The public has continued to submit tips, which are all thoroughly investigated, says Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae.

Authorities are interested in hearing from anyone who was in Bridgeton City Park on the day Dulce disappeared, which could produce evidence that "breaks this case wide open," Webb-McRae said.

"This investigation is like a large puzzle," Webb-McRae said. "There are missing puzzle pieces. We don't know their significance or where they fit in the puzzle until the pieces are collected."

Anyone who is a witness in this matter will not have their immigration status used against them, according to the prosecutor's office and State Police.

What We Know

Dulce and her brother were playing on the swings at Bridgeton City Park. Her mother, who was in a vehicle parked about 30 yards away, says she was playing a scratch-off lottery ticket and helping another family member with her homework.

Her mother told police that Dulce did not return to her vehicle.

Dulce was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with a koala on the front, black and white pants with butterflies on them, and white dress sandals, according to the FBI.

Investigators believe that a man near the park may have abducted her before driving off in a red van, FBI Special Agent Daniel Garrabrant told NBC New York four years ago.

"The offender that took Dulce was likely there for a period of time," Garrabrant said. "It was a crime of opportunity. They were looking for a child, maybe their age or gender."

In October 2019 — a few months after Dulce went missing — authorities released a police sketch of a person of interest. He was reported as a Hispanic man wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and a white baseball-style hat. He's estimated to be 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 30 to 35 years old, with a slender build.

But to this day, he hasn't been identified, and authorities have no strong suspects in the case.

Two years ago, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released an age-progression rendering of what Dulce may have looked like at the time, when she was 9.

How To Help

Information can be provided to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office at ccpo.tips. Tips can be anonymous.

To provide information over the phone, call the New Jersey State Police Special Investigative Section at 1-833-465-2653.