Five years after she vanished from a park in Cumberland County, New Jersey, authorities say they remain committed to finding Dulce Maria Alavez.
Ducle, then 5 years old, was last seen playing with her younger brother at Bridgeton City Park in Cumberland County on the afternoon of September 16, 2019.
Since she disappeared, investigators have released several age-progression photos showing what Dulce might look like.
The most recent was released in 2023.
So far in 2024, investigators with the county prosecutor’s office and Bridgeton police say they have followed up on 17 new tips. Some of those new tips came from outside New Jersey, including tips 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,” Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae and Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari said in a joint statement.