Mom, stepdad of missing Everman, Texas boy face child endangerment charge; search continues

The mother and stepfather of missing 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez are now facing a felony charge of abandonment and endangerment of a child, police said Friday.

Noel has not been found. But a warrant was issued Friday for the mother and stepfather, and authorities are working to extradite the couple from India back to the U.S.

Noel’s mother and stepfather, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and Arshdeep Singh, flew from Dallas-Fort Worth to India with six other children last week, two days before an Amber Alert was issued for Noel. Texas and federal authorities have been looking for the 6-year-old, who has disabilities including a lung condition, since police received a tip last week that he has not been seen since November.

Police said Friday that they dug up part of a concrete patio on the property where the family lived on Wisteria Drive, but that search did not find any evidence that would lead them to Noel. The family was staying in a converted shed in the back yard of a home owned by a friend, and also used a couple of rooms inside the main house.

Investigators learned that the concrete patio had recently been poured and was paid for by Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, despite her not owning the property, Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said. Authorities dug into the patio because radar detected an “anomaly” in the concrete that indicated the possible presence of unknown objects, but the dig did not lead to evidence of Noel’s whereabouts, Spencer said.

Investigators have used specialized equipment and dogs that can detect human remains during their extensive search of the property, Spencer said. The dogs did not alert to any evidence of human remains.

Investigators have not found any evidence to indicate that Noel is dead and they have tried to stay optimistic while exploring all possibilities and leads, Spencer said.

Living conditions inside the backyard shed found during the search were part of the reason authorities obtained the endangerment warrant, Spencer said. He declined to elaborate on the specific conditions. Photos taken by the Star-Telegram inside the home after the search showed messy conditions but it was unclear how much of that was because of the search.

Authorities weren’t notified that Noel was missing until they received an anonymous tip on March 20. His mother, who has full legal custody of Noel, lied to police about where her son was, telling officers who made a welfare check on March 20 that the boy was with his biological father in Mexico, according to Everman police. Police did not go inside the shed during the welfare check.

Homeland Security verified that there is no record of Noel crossing the border into Mexico, Spencer said. The biological father is cooperating with the investigation and has not seen Noel, according to police.

Charles Parson, the man who owns the home where the family had been staying, also has cooperated with investigators, Spencer said. Parson told the Star-Telegram that the patio behind his home was poured about a month ago, which was after the last time he saw Noel. Rodriguez-Singh also told Parson that Noel was staying with relatives in Mexico, he said.

Spencer has said authorities were concerned that the family might not return to the U.S. to answer questions. They previously issued warrants for Rodriguez-Singh on a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report and on a probation violation. She was sentenced to 10 years of probation in 2020 on a repeat offense of driving while intoxicated, according to Tarrant County court records.

The misdemeanor charge wasn’t enough to support extradition, but the new felony charges mean that the mother and stepfather are fugitives, Spencer said.

Investigators are “not working on a clock” and will continue looking for Noel until they find out what happened to him, the police chief has said.

Requirements and process for extradition from India

In order for a crime to be considered extraditable under the treaty between the United States and India, the charges have to be severe enough to warrant punishment for at least one year, no matter if the law or one similar exists in India or if that law is considered as severe there.

If that is met, Everman police, or any agency wanting to extradite a suspect from India, can work with federal authorities to submit an extradition request through diplomatic channels, by the terms of the treaty.

India would require the U.S. to provide evidence, statements, documents, a copy of the warrant, “and such information as would justify the committal for trial of the person in the requested state,” according to the website for the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Indian authorities would review those documents and decide whether to approve or decline the extradition request. In “cases of urgency,” American authorities can request a provisional arrest while the extradition is being processed.

The FBI, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Alliance for Children and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are among the agencies involved in the investigation.

Police urged the public to share information, no matter how minor the detail. Tips can be called in at 817-293-2923 or sent via email to tips@evermantx.net

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