Dulce Maria Alavez: Monday marks 5 years since young girl disappeared from New Jersey park
Vigil remembering Dulce Maria Alavez 5 years after her disappearance
It has been five years since Dulce Maria Alavez vanished from a New Jersey park without a trace, but authorities aren't giving up the search despite scant new leads. FOX 29's Steve Keeley spoke with Dulce's mother, Norma Alavez Perez, during a vigil Monday.
PHILADELPHIA - Monday marks five years since Dulce Maria Alavez vanished from a New Jersey park without a trace, but authorities aren't giving up the search despite scant new leads.
Dulce was 5-years-old when she vanished from Bridgeton City Park while playing with her brother as their mom sat in a nearby parked car with their 8-year-old cousin.
Investigators say her brother returned to the car without Dulce, which sparked a frantic search that soon involved teams of police and community members.
Police issued an Amber Alert on the day Dulce went missing that described a Person of Interest who a witness reported seeing driving near the park in a red van.
FOX 29's Steve Keeley spoke to Dulce's mom, Norma Alavez Perez, during a vigil Monday that honored the 5-year-old five years after her disappearance.
"We come and do the anniversary so someone can know that she's still missing that we haven't forgot about the case of her, and we won't stop until we know what happened to her," said the mom.
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Rendering shows what Dulce Maria Alavez could look like 4-years after her disappearance from NJ park
An artist rendering shows what Dulce Maria Alavez could look like today ahead of the four year anniversary of her disappearance from a New Jersey park.
Investigators described the Person of Interest as a 5-foot-7 Hispanic man between 30-35-years-old, wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and a white baseball hat.
Investigators said they have tracked down "every vehicle remotely matching the red van description," but have since been unable to link it to the disappearance.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) shared an age progression image of what Dulce, who would be 9-years-old, could look like today.
Cumberland County prosecutors said they have followed up on 17 new tips this year, which came from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
"Unfortunately, those leads did not result in our locating Dulce or the person responsible for her disappearance, but it is not for a lack of effort of those dedicated to the investigation," officials said in a joint statement.
Investigators are asking the public to continue spreading information about Dulce and her disappearance as the search continues.