After more than two years on the run, Cindy Rodriguez Singh, a Texas mother accused of killing her six-year-old son Noel Rodriguez Alvarez, has been arrested in India, capping a transnational manhunt that gripped North Texas and drew the attention of law enforcement worldwide. The FBI announced her capture on August 20, 2025, closing a chapter in a heartbreaking case that has haunted the Everman, Texas, community since 2022.
According to the FBI, Rodriguez Singh had been among the agency’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, with a reward for information leading to her arrest and conviction reaching $250,000. Her name was added to the notorious list in July 2025, a testament to the seriousness and urgency of the case. The arrest was the result of extensive cooperation between U.S. authorities, including the FBI and Justice Department, and international partners in India, as detailed by FBI Director Kash Patel. "That's a credit to tremendous field work, law enforcement partners, intelligence operatives, and an administration who is letting good cops do their jobs," Patel wrote in a post on X, expressing gratitude for the international effort that brought Rodriguez Singh into custody.
The story began in October 2022, when Noel Rodriguez Alvarez was last seen alive in Everman, a suburb of Fort Worth. Police reports and witness statements described the boy as appearing unhealthy and malnourished around the birth of his twin sisters. Despite his visibly declining condition, his family did not report him missing for several months.
It was not until March 2023 that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services requested a welfare check on Noel, prompting Everman police to visit the family's home. During the welfare check, Rodriguez Singh claimed Noel was living with his biological father in Mexico, a statement that would later be proven false. Just two days after this interview, on March 22, 2023, Rodriguez Singh, her husband Arshdeep Singh, and her six other children boarded a flight to India. Notably absent from the group was Noel. Investigators would later discover that Rodriguez Singh had applied for passports for all her children except Noel in November 2022—an omission that raised further suspicion.
As the investigation intensified, disturbing details emerged. Witnesses told police that Rodriguez Singh had been abusive toward Noel, referring to him as "evil" or "possessed" and expressing reluctance to have him near her other children due to his intellectual disabilities, according to CBS News and ABC News. Law enforcement officials described a pattern of neglect and mistreatment that painted a grim picture of the boy's final months.
After the family’s sudden departure, the Everman Police Department, assisted by the FBI and other federal partners, began a relentless search for answers. Investigators pursued multiple leads, including rumors that Noel had been left with friends or family or even sold to a woman at a local grocery store. However, as NBCDFW reported, none of these claims were substantiated. In April 2023, cadaver dogs "alerted" to a discarded rug and topsoil beneath a recently poured concrete porch at the family’s rented home, suggesting that human remains had once been present. Still, no physical evidence was found that could be tested or identified.
By the spring of 2023, authorities concluded that Noel was presumed dead. On October 31, 2023, Rodriguez Singh was charged in Tarrant County district court with capital murder of a person under 10 years of age. Additional charges included two counts of injury to a child and one count of abandoning a child without the intent to return. The following month, a federal arrest warrant was issued for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
The search for Rodriguez Singh spanned continents. The FBI had initially offered a $25,000 reward for her capture, later raising it to $250,000 as the investigation dragged on without resolution. According to Hindustan Times, Rodriguez Singh, born in Dallas, Texas, in 1985, had brown eyes, brown hair, and a medium complexion, with distinctive tattoos covering her arms and legs. She stood about 5’1 to 5’3” tall and weighed between 120 and 140 pounds. Despite these details and the high-profile nature of the case, she managed to evade capture for more than two years, reportedly never returning to the U.S. after fleeing to India.
Her eventual arrest was hailed as a significant victory for law enforcement, but officials cautioned that the case is far from over. Everman Police Chief Al Brooks, speaking to local media, described the arrest as a midpoint in a long and painful process. “No. It’s typically not in a cop’s nature to give up,” Brooks said, reflecting on the years of effort by his department and federal partners. He emphasized that the ultimate goal remains justice for Noel, a sentiment echoed by Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer, who stated, “The work on this case has never stopped. It means a lot to our community.” Spencer added, “There have been many failures with this child, starting with this family... which is why we’re here today to seek justice on those failures.”
The impact of Noel’s disappearance and presumed death has reverberated throughout Everman. In November 2023, the city dedicated a new inclusive park in his honor, a gesture meant to remember the little boy and serve as a symbol of hope and healing for the community. The park stands as a reminder of the tragedy and the collective resolve to ensure that no child is forgotten.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz weighed in on the arrest, stating on August 20, 2025, that he was "glad to see Rodriguez Singh being brought back to Texas from India, where she will finally face justice for the alleged heinous crime of murdering her child." The senator’s comments reflect the broader sentiment in Texas and beyond—a mix of relief, sorrow, and determination to see justice done.
While the details surrounding Rodriguez Singh’s arrest in India have not yet been released, the FBI’s acknowledgment of the international effort underscores the complexity and scale of the operation. As the legal process unfolds, many questions remain unanswered, including the circumstances of Noel’s death and the fate of his siblings. For now, the arrest marks a turning point in a case that has left a lasting mark on all those involved.
As the investigation continues and Rodriguez Singh faces the American justice system, the community of Everman—and the nation—watches closely, hoping for closure and accountability in the case of a little boy whose life ended far too soon.
