Jennifer Rodriguez Still Searching for Missing Son

Have you seen me?

I’m Patrick Alford. I’m seven-years-old, 4-feet-8 inches tall and weigh about 65 pounds. I have a piercing smile and a heart of gold and a little scar on my left eyebrow that sets me apart from other children.
The last time my foster mother saw me, we were taking out the trash together in Brooklyn, New York. I was wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers.

If you see me or think you have seen me, please telephone to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or to text a tip to 274673 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.

by Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times

On January 22, 2010, little Patrick Alford was helping his foster mother take out the trash in their Starrett City apartment when he suddenly vanished. He has not been seen or heard from since.

The little boy, yearning for his mother, threatened to runaway from the foster home he had just been placed in three weeks earlier.

His mother, 23-year-old Jennifer Rodriguez, lost temporary custody of him after she was arrested on theft charges. ACS stepped in and decided Rodriguez was negligent in her parental responsibilities and placed the child in foster care.

"Patrick, if you're seeing this, I love you. I am not going to stop looking for you. I just want you to be home, Rodriguez cried out. "I feel like this is a bad dream, a nightmare for me," she said.

Rodriguez has also offered a $10,000 reward for the safe return of her son or information on his whereabouts.

One reader wondered, “Where does a 23-year-old mother who was arrested for theft get $10,000 from? And if she does have access to those types of funds, why was she stealing in the first place let alone neglecting her son?”


As Rodriguez pled for the safe return of her son during a vigil she held in front of the apartment building her son vanished from, news reports stated she was arrested by the NYPD because she was allegedly in violation of a restraining order that prevented her from being anywhere near the home of sons foster parents.

NYPD said Rodriguez was not arrested.

Staten Island family court judge, Terrance McElrath, who believed Rodriguez either knew who had her son or facilitated his disappearance, jailed her for several days under civil contempt.

"I don't think a 7-year-old is out on his own in this cold weather caring for himself," said judge McElrath. "He's with someone."
After Rodriguez passed a polygraph examination she was released from Rikers Island on the condition she help police locate her son. So far, she has not led police to any solid evidence of her son’s whereabouts.

Bill Lyons/Staten Island Advance

Some say Rodriguez is to blame for coming under suspicion in her own child’s disappearance per statements the young mother made as she left court one afternoon:

“Get me out of here - call my aunt, she has him, she knows where he is,” yelled Rodriguez as she was being led out of court shackled and cuffed at her waist. The aunt she was referring to is Blanca Toledo.


In response to her niece’s claim Toledo, 50, who had cared for Alford prior to ACS placing him in foster care, told the New York Daily News that she and Rodriguez had a “love and hate relationship” and that the family was angry with her (Toldedo) for telling ACS about attempts Rodriguez made to “kidnap” her own son.

Toledo has repeatedly stated that she does not have her nephew. Deeply hurt by the events and Rodriguez’ allegation, a teary eyed Toledo told reporters, “I guess she has nothing else to say."
Alford’s caseworker, Carlene Anderson, testified that Rodriguez knocked on the door of the foster family the day after her son mysteriously disappeared - even though she has adamantly denied knowing where the family lived.

Anderson testified in court that during a telephone call with her son, Rodriguez asked him about what public transportation he took while with the foster family.

“The mother was trying to find out how they traveled,” Anderson said. Rodriguez’ family said they accidentally ran across the foster family apartment while handing out missing posters of the child and that Rodriguez was not with them at that time.

Police have centered their search in and around the Starrett City apartment complex from where the boy disappeared. They are saturating the area with police officers, deployed a helicopter and have brought in a canine unit.

Police say they have checked family in Florida and Baltimore for any sign of the seven-year-old, but have turned up no leads.
There has been no word whether the foster parents or immediate family members have been subjected to polygraphs in relation to Alford’s disappearance.
A woman that lives across the street from the foster parents said, “I live across the street from where the little boy went missing from and the police are out in droves. They have been knocking on everyone’s door in this huge community about 3 to 4 times a day asking if we have seen him with pictures in hand,” said the woman.

“They are rolling 20 deep walking in packs every block. Searching every inch and crevice of the area in the spring creek community. They have police vans and patrol car and helicopters from morning to night.”

Peruse the comment sections of this news story and the consensus seems to be that many believe the foster parents should be suspects as well as the mother. Readers are hesitant to believe the foster mother didn’t notice the boy missing right away or notice someone lurking about in an attempt to take the boy.

No doubt it seems like this case is turning into a modern day game of clue: a classic whodunit.

"I just hope he's safe, warm and okay," said Patrick's aunt Claudia Ortiz. "He's a beautiful kid. He and his sister love, adore, their mother. Jennifer would do anything for those kids.”

Rodriguez readily admits that she has made mistakes and knew she needed to stay clean in order to be able to care for her children

. In her first interview since being released from Riker's Island, Rodriguez said, "I made a lot of mistakes in my life. I messed up, but I was never a bad mom to my son."

No matter who’s story you believe or what you may think of Jennifer Rodriguez, the bottom line is a child is missing. He’s too young to be out on his own in the cold, mean streets of New York City.

Someone knows where this child is or has seen him. Let one of the relatives know he is safe. Leave an anonymous tip with police, the clerk of court or another official where to find Patrick or provide them with definitive evidence that he is alive and well.

This child needs to be found.

If you have any information on Patrick Alford’s disappearance please telephone Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at CrimeStoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Click HERE to read NY Daily News articles on this case