A woman who left Texas for India after her 6-year-old son went missing is charged with killing him

EVERMAN, Texas (AP) — A Texas woman who told various stories to explain her 6-year-old son’s absence before leaving the country has been charged with killing the child, who has been missing for a year.

Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, 37, was indicted Monday by a Tarrant County grand jury on one count of capital murder, two counts of injury to a child and one count of abandoning a child without intent to return, Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said at a news conference.

Authorities have searched in and around Everman, the city south of Fort Worth where the family lived, but the body of Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez has not yet been found. Investigators say Noel was last seen in late October 2022.

Spencer said he’s hopeful that the indictments will help in getting her arrested and returned to the U.S. from India. He said he did not know if she’s been located yet, but said that federal authorities were working the case. Spencer said he did not know of any attorney representing Rodriguez-Singh.

Officers went to the family’s home in March after Child Protective Services got a tip that Noel hadn’t been seen in some time. Two days later, Rodriguez-Singh and her husband and six children flew to India.

Spencer said Noel, who had mental and developmental disabilities, had never been enrolled in school. He also said that family members have said that Noel was abused and neglected, and that Rodriguez-Singh would withhold food and water from the child because she didn’t like changing his diaper.