Everman, TX, May 17, 2026 — The discovery of human remains behind a suburban Texas home has brought a grim turn in the three-year search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, a special-needs child whose mother and Indian-origin stepfather fled to India shortly after investigators began looking into his disappearance.
The remains, recovered this week during a forensic excavation at the family’s former residence in Everman, were positively identified through dental records as Noel’s, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office said Friday. Authorities believe Noel was killed in 2022, months before he was officially reported missing.
Noel, who had developmental and physical disabilities, was last seen alive in October 2022. Family members later told investigators that the boy appeared malnourished and unhealthy during his final known sightings. Prosecutors allege his mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, subjected him to prolonged abuse and neglect, and at times described him as “possessed” or a threat to his younger siblings, according to court records and investigators.
The case first drew national attention in March 2023, when relatives raised concerns about Noel’s whereabouts, prompting a welfare check at the family’s home in Everman, about 15 miles southwest of Dallas. Police said Rodriguez-Singh gave conflicting explanations, including claims that Noel had been sent to Mexico to live with his biological father.
Two days later, authorities say Rodriguez-Singh left the United States with her husband, Arshdeep Singh, and several of the couple’s children, boarding an international flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Investigators later traced the family to India.
Rodriguez-Singh was later charged with capital murder, injury to a child, and abandoning a child. In July 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation placed her on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. She was arrested in New Delhi in August 2025 and extradited to Texas. Court records show she was ruled incompetent to stand trial last month and has been committed for psychiatric treatment until competency can be restored.
Authorities have also accused Singh of helping Rodriguez-Singh flee prosecution. He faces charges related to unlawful flight and child endangerment, according to court filings.
Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said the identification of Noel’s remains marks a significant step in the case.
“We will continue to pursue justice for Noel,” Sorrells said in a statement.
The case has drawn particular attention in Indian-American circles because of the family’s flight to India and the involvement of Singh, who investigators say accompanied Rodriguez-Singh during her international escape.
Community members in Everman had kept Noel’s memory alive during the investigation, even naming an inclusive playground in his honor while the search for him continued. Authorities say the discovery of his remains may now strengthen the prosecution’s case as it moves toward trial.
