Lee esta historia en español aquí. | Read this story in Spanish here.

Sept. 16, 2019 appeared to be a day like any other at New Jersey's Bridgeton City Park -- until a 5-year-old girl mysteriously vanished, leaving an entire family and community heartbroken and searching for answers.

Saturday will mark the four-year anniversary of the disappearance of Dulce María Alavez, the little girl who disappeared as she played in the park with her then 3-year-old brother as their mother watched from a car.

The park is situated in Bridgeton, a small city with a large Hispanic population located in Cumberland County. The area is surrounded by rural land -- among the most rural in the state.

Dulce María's mother, Noema Alavez Pérez, who was 19 years old at the time of her daughter's disappearance, previously told our sister station NBC10 in 2021 that both Dulce María and her younger brother had ice cream in hand as they ran toward the playground, but 10 minutes later, Dulce María was nowhere in sight.

The boy pointed behind some nearby buildings saying his sister went that way, Alavez Pérez said, adding that, at first, she assumed Dulce María was playing hide-and-seek. This turned out to not be the case.

Dulce María's little brother, the last person to see her alive, subsequently told police he saw a man "waving his hand, like 'come over here,'" according to Alavez Pérez.

As time passed, and despite a number of multi-agency and community searches, the little girl, who today is 9 years old, remains missing in a perplexing and heartbreaking case that authorities continue to investigate.

Without proof that there was a kidnapping, authorities did not send an Amber Alert for more than 24 hours. The day after his disappearance, an Amber Alert was issued for a man in a red pickup truck. However, without cameras in the park, police were unable to corroborate witness statements. Meanwhile, a month later, investigators released the sketch of a man who may have been connected to the case.

Since Dulce María's disappearance in 2019, hundreds of interviews have been conducted, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McCrea and Bridgeton City Police Chief Michael Gaimari said in a joint statement Thursday, adding that investigators have traveled to and interfaced with law enforcement at all levels in different states and in Mexico.

To this day, tips continue to come in connection to the case, with each bit of information being investigated, Webb-McCrea and Gaimari say. Just in the past year, investigators have traveled out-of-state to follow up on tips in connection to Dulce María’s disappearance.

The Bridgeton Police Department, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to meet to discuss leads and strategize on the ongoing investigation.

To date, no arrests have been made in the case.

In the absence of evidence confirming Dulce’s
demise investigators hold out hope that Dulce is still alive

Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McCrea and Bridgeton City Police Chief Michael Gaimari's joint statement

The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday that due to the "absence of evidence confirming Dulce’s
demise investigators hold out hope that Dulce is still alive."

Authorities have also released an "age-progression" photo of what Dulce María might look like today in hopes the updated image may help locate her.

Angeline Hartmann, director of communications at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said artist renderings have helped bring missing children home many times.

"Our age progression images have helped bring home missing children many times," Hartmann said. We ask people to keep in mind that this may not be exactly what Dulce looks like now. This is an approximation, meant to spark recognition. We’re asking everyone to take a look and see if there’s something familiar about this face. Remember, we’re no longer looking for a 5-year-old and a child can change a lot in four years. We know our images can work. We just need the right person to see this and make that call."

A vigil will be held Saturday, on the actual anniversary of her disappearance, near the playground where she was last seen.

If you have information on this case, tips can be sent anonymously to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office by visiting www.ccpo.tips or via the Bridgeton Police Department at www.bpd.tips as well. Information can also be relayed by calling the Bridgeton Police Department at 856-451-0033.

There is a $75,000 reward.