Timeline from NJ.com:
Monday shortly before 4 p.m.: Dulce’s mother Noema Alavez told police they stopped along with Dulce’s 3-year-old brother and an 8-year-old relative at a Sunoco convenience store for ice cream. Video surveillance captured at the store showed the children looking into a display case.
Police provided images from the video to help show the clothes Dulce was wearing when she went missing.
Monday shortly after 4 p.m: Noema Alavez arrives at City Park with Dulce and the two other children. Dulce and her younger brother ran off to play, while her mother Noema Alavez stayed in the vehicle with an 8-year-old relative.
After about 10 minutes, the 3-year-old ran back to the car crying and pointed to the area where he said he last saw his sister, which included some storage buildings near the playground.
Monday at 5 p.m.: Noema Alavez calls police to report her daughter missing, beginning what would be an extensive search of the massive park.
About two dozen people were playing basketball at a court near the play area at the time the child went missing, police said. All were interviewed by police and none initially reported seeing an abduction, according to police. Witnesses confirmed seeing the kids at the playground.
The search went late into the night.
Tuesday at 7 a.m.: Police resumed the search at 7 a.m. Tuesday and continued looking all day. Members of the community joined in the effort. The search included aircraft and thermal imaging cameras.
Investigators searched the 1,000-acre park, its adjoining neighborhoods and nearby Sunset Lake throughout the day on Tuesday before calling off the search when it became too dark.
More than 50 officers from various agencies within the county, city fire department personnel and K9s from throughout the state were involved in the search. A waterway at the park was also drained as part of the search.
Tuesday around 10 p.m.: New Jersey State Police
issue an Amber Alert for Dulce, for the first time revealing new information indicating that the 5-year-old may have been abducted from the park. They issued a description of the man and red van with a sliding door believed to be involved in her kidnapping.
Bridgeton police later explained that the new information was uncovered after interviewing and re-interviewing witnesses.
Wednesday morning: Noema Alavez told NJ Advance Media that police have suggested that members of Dulce’s family may have been involved in her disappearance, but she denied the claim.
“The police think our family did this,” she said. “They think I did something to her. I didn’t. I love my daughter. I would never do nothing bad to her."
Wednesday at 2 p.m.: Police Chief Michael Gaimari said investigators have obtained video surveillance that may show the van being sought in the abduction, but Dulce whereabouts remain unknown.
Amber alert for Dulce Alavez: Timeline, what we know about missing 5-year-old as search spans into 3rd day
