New Jersey authorities have issued a state-wide AMBER alert for a missing 5-year-old girl. Dulce Maria Alavez has been missing since Monday and was last seen at a playground in Bridgeton, NJ.
According to the Bridgeton Police Department, Alavez is believed to have been lured into a red van by a "light-skinned, possibly Hispanic man." Police believe he is between 5'6'' and 5'8'', "thin build, no facial hair acne on his face and wearing orange sneakers, red pants and a black shirt."
Alavez is a 5-year-old Hispanic girl with black hair and brown eyes. She's 3'5'' and weighs 40 lbs. Alavez was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with a koala on the front with black and white pants and white sandals.
Law enforcement responded at approximately 4:50 p.m. Monday when Alavez was reported missing. They continued the search all day Tuesday with an extensive ground search. Water rescue and search teams from Downe Township along with New Jersey State Police Aviation and Missing Persons units and the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment unit assisted.
Alavez's mother said that the child was playing on the swings with her 3-year-old brother. Her mother remained in the car with an 8-year-old relative. She reported her daughter missing after Alavez's brother returned to the car without his sister.
Alavez's grandmother told reporters she is begging whoever abducted her granddaughter to please bring her home safely.
Anyone with information on Alavez's dissapearance is urged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or text tips anonymously to TIP411, with the keyword "Bridgeton."
