Police in Texas ripped open a slab of concrete at the home of Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, a missing boy who is now presumed dead after police said cadaver dogs alerted them to human remains.
In a 20-hour dig Monday, police in Everman, a suburb of Fort Worth, dismantled a concrete porch and combed through soil near the shed where Noel, 6, lived with six of his ten siblings, his mother and stepfather.
“After removing the concrete patio, multiple human remains detection canines began alerting to the top soil directly underneath the concrete,” Police Chief CW Spencer shared in a press release Tuesday.
Mom Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, 37 — described by police as having an extensive criminal history — had the concrete poured before she fled the country even though her son was missing. She didn’t bother to get a permit for the addition, police added.
“This has led investigators to believe that at some point in time, there were human remains… prior to the installation of the patio,” the chief said.
“Although this search revealed minimal physical evidence, it has certainly provided additional guidance for investigators.”
“What made this stand out to our investigative team is that Cindy, nor the rest of the family, own the property,” Police Chief CW Spencer previously said. “It’s not normal to conduct this type of construction at a residence that you do not own.”
Police previously searched the concrete but only tore up a small portion after investigators found what they described as an “anomaly” when ground-penetrating radar hit on something unusual.
On Monday, police took apart the entire concrete slab.
The filthy shack where Noel lived has also been searched. Among the squalor, police found an altar to Santa Muerte, the saint of death, beloved by drug dealers and cartel members.
Police also revealed Tuesday that they recovered a large outdoor carpet thrown away by Noel’s stepfather, Arshdeep Singh, before he returned to his home country of India.
Cadaver dogs also picked up the scent of human remains on the carpet, previously located in the same area where the concrete was poured.
Charles Parson, owner of the land where the shed is located, told Dallas’ Fox station the police were wasting their time, since he believes the boy is still alive and in Mexico with relatives.
“I kept telling them, the slab was poured after Noel supposedly had disappeared,” Parson, who befriended Rodriguez-Singh nearly a decade ago said.
“Why would he be underneath the slab? I think they just tore it up because they don’t have no idea where he is, and they’re frustrated.”
Investigators were able to make contact with Rodriquez-Singh before she skipped town.
She told authorities Noel was with family in Mexico.
Police later learned that wasn’t true and concluded Noel is likely now dead, the police department announced Friday.
The special needs child was last seen in October by family members — shortly before his twin sisters were born.
“Noel was described as appearing unhealthy and malnourished,” Spencer added.
“Leading up to the birth of the twins, Cindy had made several statements about Noel referring to him as evil, possessed or having a demon in him. Cindy believed Noel was going to harm the newborn twins.”
Police also shared that family members had seen Rodriguez-Singh hit the boy to reprimand him for drinking water because she didn’t like changing his dirty diaper.
Last month, authorities issued an Amber alert for the missing boy after his mother, six of his siblings and his stepfather fled the country — but Noel was not with them.
Warrants were issued for the boy’s mother and stepfather after they had left the US.
The pair face charges of abandoning or endangering a child, a second-degree felony in the Lone Star State.
Federal authorities are currently working to extradite the couple to the US.