The late afternoon sun was still hanging over Bridgeton City Park when five-year-old Dulce Maria Alavez vanished without a trace, leaving behind a playground swing that still moved in the wind.
Six years later, the FBI is again asking for help, offering a $5,000 reward for information that could bring the little girl home—or finally tell her story.
It was September 16, 2019, a day like any other in this quiet South Jersey town.
Dulce had been playing with her younger brother near the swings behind Bridgeton High School, while their mother, who was pregnant at the time, sat in her car about 30 yards away scratching a lottery ticket and helping her younger sister with homework.
When she looked up, her daughter was gone.
What followed was a scene that could chill any parent’s heart. Police flooded the park. Helicopters circled overhead.
Officers searched the woods, ponds, and nearby neighborhoods. But Dulce had disappeared—vanished so completely that even time has struggled to make sense of it.
A witness told police they had seen a light-skinned Hispanic man, about 5-foot-8, leading the child toward a red van parked nearby.
An Amber Alert was issued that evening, but the trail went cold almost immediately. Despite thousands of leads, extensive media coverage, and a search that reached as far as Ohio, the case remains unsolved.
In the years since, Dulce’s face has never left the hearts of those who knew her—or the billboards, posters, and social media pages of those who didn’t.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has released multiple age-progression photos showing what she might look like now, a young girl approaching adolescence instead of the kindergartner frozen in memory.
Age progressions are instrumental in aiding law enforcement in many missing and unidentified cases.
NCMEC generates age progression images every two years until a missing child turns 18, then every five years, because their features do not change as much once they reach adulthood.
NCMEC’s forensic artist, Christi Andrews, created Dulce’s new image.
“When starting an age progression, the first thing I do is study the images of the missing child, in this case, Dulce,” said Andrews. “I want to understand the structure of her face as much as possible. I was lucky enough to get images of her biological family in addition to images of Dulce, which gave me clues as to how the family members grow and age over time.”
Once an age progression is completed, it is circulated by law enforcement and media outlets to bring awareness to that missing child’s case.
“Our age progression images have helped bring home missing children many times,” said Angeline Hartmann, director of communications at NCMEC.
“We ask people to keep in mind that this may not be exactly what Dulce looks like now. This is an approximation, meant to spark recognition. We’re asking everyone to take a look and see if there’s something familiar about this face,” said Hartmann. “Remember, we’re no longer looking for a 5-year-old, and a child can change a lot in four years. We know our images can work. We just need the right person to see this and make that call.”
“The offender that took Dulce was likely there for a period of time. It was a crime of opportunity,” FBI Special Agent Daniel Garrabrant said in 2021. “They were looking for a child, maybe her age or gender.”
The FBI, along with local and state law enforcement, continues to follow every lead, no matter how faint. The agency has renewed its $5,000 reward for information leading to Dulce’s whereabouts, and officials say additional reward money may be available.
In Bridgeton, the story still lingers in the air like a question that refuses to fade. At the park, children still play, parents still watch, and life moves on—but not for everyone. For Dulce’s family, the days have stretched into years, heavy with unanswered prayers.
Those who might know something—no matter how small—are urged to come forward. Tips can be submitted by calling the FBI’s toll-free line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), selecting option 4, and then option 8. Information can also be texted to TIP411 with the message “Bridgeton,” or submitted online at www.fbi.gov/alavez.
Dulce Maria Alavez was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with a koala on the front, black-and-white butterfly-patterned pants, and white sandals.
Somewhere, someone remembers that sight—and until they speak, a little girl’s swing will keep moving in the wind, waiting for her return.