Authorities initially issued an Amber Alert after Noel was reported missing on Friday in Everman, Texas, which is about 12 miles south of Fort Worth.
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The Everman Police Department said they believed his mother, 37-year-old Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, was connected to Noel's disappearance.
Investigators were searching for the vehicle, a gray 2012 Silverado bearing Texas license plate number PLS7091, that they believe Rodriguez-Singh was driving.
Everman police told ABC affiliate WFAA that the child and his mother lived at the address he was reportedly last seen at.
Some family members reportedly told authorities this week that they haven't seen Noel since November, but police said in an updated alert on Sunday that he disappeared on Thursday.
In the update, the Amber Alert was discontinued and an Endangered Missing alert was issued after authorities learned his family booked a flight to Turkey, where Noel was not listed as a passenger.
Police describe Noel as a Hispanic boy with brown eyes and black hair, weighing 50 pounds and is 4 feet tall.
"He was born at 25 weeks and therefore has a lot of physical disabilities and developmental disorders," Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said. "He suffers from social disorder...and has chronic lung disease, which has required him to be on oxygen at certain points of time."
Rodriguez-Singh is facing charges of false reports to a police officer regarding a missing person, and probation violation for a previous crime unrelated to Noel's disappearance, according to WFAA.
A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
Timeline of Noel's disappearance
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On March 20, the Texas Child Protective Investigations (CPI) contacted Everman police after family members said they hadn't seen the 6-year-old since November 2022.
According to Spencer, the family requested officers to conduct a welfare check at the boy's home.
The chief said police arrived to the home where Rodriguez-Singh told them that Noel had been with his biological father in Mexico since November.
"At that time, there were no indications present to the officers that would warrant any further investigation," Spencer said at a news conference on Sunday.
On March 23, CPI contacted Everman police again after an investigator said they spoke to more family members who were concerned about Noel's well-being.
According to Spencer, CPI also found the boy's father in Mexico, who told the agency that he did not have Noel. He reportedly told authorities he has never met his son since he was deported before Noel was born.
Spencer said records from Homeland Security support the father's statements.
When the CPI investigator tried to reach Noel's siblings at their school, the children were absent, according to police. The CPI learned that Rodriguez-Singh had contacted the school to inquire about unenrolling them.
CPI then tried to reach Rodriguez-Singh but was unable to do so.
Spencer said there have been prior CPS investigations and actions against the mother and said that she does have an "extensive criminal history."
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"It appeared to the CPI investigator that the mother was intentionally avoiding authorities," Spencer said. "This prompted an investigation into the child's whereabouts."
On March 25, the Amber Alert for Noel was issued at about midnight on Saturday.
Spencer said multiple agencies were dispatched to find Noel, his mother, his stepfather, and his six siblings (including a pair of 5-month-old twins, plus 7-, 8-, 9- and 11-year-olds).
At 9 p.m. Saturday, authorities learned that the family had boarded a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Police said they left on Thursday before the Amber Alert was issued.
Spencer said Noel was not listed as a passenger on that flight.
At that point, Spencer said, the Amber Alert was discontinued, and Noel's case was re-issued as an Endangered Missing Persons Alert through Texas DPS.
"This change does not affect the course of our investigation," Spencer said. "We plan to continue to investigate this case to the fullest of our capabilities."
Spencer said there is currently no physical evidence about Noel's status as a missing person. However, since Noel hasn't been found, police said they would continue to investigate the situation as a Missing Person case.
Spencer said there's also no evidence of the boy's siblings being in any danger.
Anyone with information should contact the Everman Police Department at (817) 293-2923 or call 911 immediately.