Officials release new age progression photo of Dulce Alavez as Saturday marks 4 years since disappearance
BRIDGETON, N.J. (CBS) -- Saturday marks four years since Dulce Alavez disappeared from a Bridgeton park in New Jersey. Her mother said she will never stop looking for her daughter.
"It's really hard for me and my family because it's been four years long," mother Noema Alavez said.
Five-year-old Alavez went missing on Sept. 16, 2019, while she was playing with her 3-year-old brother. Her disappearance left a community grasping for answers as to what happened to this bubbly, kind-hearted kindergartener. Her mother said every day without Alavez has been a constant nightmare.
"I can't believe it's my daughter that's missing," Noema Alavez said.
As the anniversary of Alavez's disappearance approaches, a forensic artist from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created this photo of what she might look like at age nine.
"The first thing I noticed were her eyes she still has the same eyes but I really didn't recognize her because the last thing I remember about her. "She was just five, she was small," Noema Alavez said.
Investigators believe someone took Alavez from the park and have reshared this image of a person of interest. A man they are still looking to identify. The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office is asking everyone to share the new photo and to reshare Alavez's story in hopes of generating any leads about where she could be.
There is a standing $75,000 reward to help find whoever is responsible. Noema Alavez said she will not rest until her daughter is found.
"I would tell my daughter that we miss her and we want her home and we are not going to stop looking for her until we find her," she said.
The family will hold a vigil for Alavez at Bridgeton City Park on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Anyone who thinks they may know where Alavez may be is asked to call the police. You can report your information anonymously.