$5,000 reward offered in missing NJ girl case
BRIDGETON, N.J. - A $5,000 reward was being offering for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect in the kidnapping of Dulce Maria Alavez.
Authorities believe the girl who disappeared this week while playing with a sibling at a New Jersey playground was taken against her will.
A description of the suspect who ushered the missing 5-year-old girl into a van at Bridgeton City Park in Cumberland County and drove away was issued by authorities.
According to police, a light-skinned Hispanic man led Alavez away from the playground and into a red van with a sliding door and tinted windows around 4:20 p.m. on Monday. Investigators say Alavez was seated in the back seat of the van when it drove away.
The suspect is described as 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8, with a thin build and acne on his face. He was wearing orange sneakers, red pants and a black shirt at the time of the reported abduction.
Search crews have been scouring the park in Cumberland County after Alavez disappeared while playing on the swings with her 3-year-old brother Monday afternoon.
Police described Alavez as 3-foot-5 with a medium build and dark-colored hair. Alavez was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, black and white checkered pants with a floral design and white sandals.
The Tortilleria El Paisano, a local tortilla shop, was offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Alavez, reported FOX 29 News.
Anyone with information on Alavez's whereabouts is urged to call Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033 or call 911.
This story has been updated to correct the girl's last name.