NY PATRICK ALFORD: Missing from Brooklyn, NY - 22 Jan 2010 - Age 7

Patrick's photo is shown age-progressed to 16 years. He was last seen on January 22, 2010. Patrick may be in or near Brooklyn, New York. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and blue and black Michael Jordan sneakers. Patrick is biracial. He is Black and Hispanic. Patrick has a scar on his left eyebrow.
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Patrick was last seen in the New York City borough of Brooklyn at approximately 9:00 p.m. on January 22, 2010. He had been placed in a foster home in the Spring Creek Development complex, also known as Starrett City, three weeks before. The Spring Creek Development is in 100 block of Vandalia Avenue.

Patrick told his foster mother, Librada Moran, that he planned to run away to rejoin his biological mother, Jennifer Rodriguez. A photo of Rodriguez is posted with case summary. Patrick was last seen assisting Moran with household chores; he took out the trash and never came back. He has never been heard from again.

Rodriguez, who lives in the New York City borough of Staten Island, lost custody of Patrick and his four-year-old sister for alleged neglect. She reportedly knew the address of his foster home, and her aunt claims she had threatened to kidnap Patrick.

A few days after Patrick's disappearance a judge ordered her to present her son at a family court hearing. Rodriguez didn't do so, stating she didn't have Patrick and didn't know his whereabouts. She was briefly jailed for contempt, then released after she passed a polygraph test.

She still maintains her innocence in her son's disappearance, stating she believed he ran away and is hiding somewhere. Various other members of Patrick's family, including people as far away as Maryland and Florida, have been investigated in his case. Several of Patrick's relatives have accused each other of hiding him.

In October 2010, Rodriguez filed a federal lawsuit against New York City, the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), Patrick's foster mother and the foster parents' apartment complex. She alleged that the ACS took Patrick from her custody without sufficient cause, and that they were negligent when they placed him in an unfit foster home instead of with relatives, such as his father.

Rodriguez alleged that Moran couldn't communicate with Patrick because she didn't speak English and he didn't speak Spanish, and that Patrick had repeatedly tried to run away, attacked his foster siblings, and even threatened to harm himself after he was placed in Moran's home.

A federal judge threw out the suit in March 2011, but ruled that Rodriguez could sue individual caseworkers and St. Vincent's Services, the child care agency in charge of Patrick's case. In 2013, Rodriguez amended her filing to include a claim for her son's wrongful death. She stated she filed the suit to get answers in her son's disappearance. The suit was settled for $6 million in August 2018. The money will be used to aid in the search for Patrick, and to benefit him if he is located alive.

Patrick may still be in the Brooklyn area. His case remains unsolved.

NCMEC -

Have you seen this child? Patrick Alford

Missing From: BROOKLYN, NY. Missing Date: 01/22/2010. Patrick's photo is shown age-progressed to 16 years. He was last seen on January 22, 2010. Patrick may be in or near Brooklyn, New York. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and blue and black Michael Jordan sneakers...

api.missingkids.org

NamUs -

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Charley Project -

Patrick Kennedy Alford Jr. – The Charley Project

PATRICK ALFORD has been missing from foster home in Brooklyn, #NewYork since 22 Jan 2010 - Age 7

Patrick told his foster mother, Librada Moran, that he planned to run away to rejoin his biological mother, Jennifer Rodriguez. Patrick was last seen assisting Moran with household chores; he took out the trash and never came back. He has never been

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[GrandmaBear]

I think it's just the reporting. Because it came out after the fact. The aunt said mom was going to take "them", but since Patrick was the only one who disappeared, they focused on that.


I don't think it's been established 100% if she knew exactly where the kids were or not, but I don't believe so. I'm not sure how "street smart" Patrick was, but a lot of NYC kids seem to be more so than others. It's very likely that he was at least familiar with the bus/subway system. My thoughts are that he *thought* he knew what he was doing, but maybe didn't know as much as he thought he did once he actually got out there.


I want to say that the foster mom did but I can't find a for sure reference. Other family, I'm not sure.


The initial reports were all so convoluted I'm not sure if it ever came out with 100% certainty exactly what he was doing or exactly what happened when he disappeared.

I don't believe his foster mom harmed him, but she KNEW that Patrick hated it there, wanted to run away, had threatened suicide, etc. And she left him alone. The exact circumstances of why he was alone aren't clear, but she still left him alone. To go from zero incidents in 20 years, to killing a child? I just don't see it. But negligence? Absolutely. She may have twisted her story a bit to sound more innocent, thinking he would be found soon. "Ohh it was just a few seconds we were apart! I turned my back to the phone and he was gone!" When the reality could have been much different. But I think that if there were abuse or violence or something going on in that home, his sister or one of her other foster children over 20 years would have reported something.


I know they were allowed supervised visits, but I don't think these happened at the foster mom's place. I know bio mom attended a vigil near the foster home about 2 weeks after he had disappeared. She was actually taken into custody for that, because she wasn't supposed to be near the foster home. :eyeroll: But I don't think she knew where the kids were staying until he disappeared from there.


I really don't think so... And I doubt the foster mom would risk her license for one kid, if that's what you're thinking? Maybe foster mom got him out to a mutual friend or acquaintance? But again, why not both kids?


I usually don't go there either but in this case I just don't know what else to think. I feel like he left the home of his own accord to TRY to run back to his mother. But something terrible happened. I don't know if he just got really cold and really lost and hunkered down somewhere, and just hasn't been found? Or that one-in-a-million chance of a predator "happening" upon him actually happened. I lean toward the former.


Patrick was let down by the system in every way imaginable. But I can absolutely see him being a "handful" at his foster home. He hated it there. I guess it's possible something got out of hand as he was throwing a fit/tantrum etc. But I don't know.


I'm not sure if they were married, to be honest. I really don't know. Jennifer has other kids as well, as does Patrick Sr. I can't keep everyone straight. No idea if there was child support, visitation, whatever. No idea. About 2 years after he disappeared, Patrick's father was actually shot and left partially paralyzed in a (probably drug-related) home invasion.


Yeah, him being abducted from the lobby or whatever seems probably the least likely to me.


Patrick's 18th birthday is this November. My last little bit of hope is that someone will come forward with him then and say "oh look who we found"! I don't see it, because there would still be charges and a LOT of judgment. And I honestly don't think family has him. But I'm trying to hope.

Thanks for the answers!

I am not really thinking anything, just trying to find out what I don't know versus what I would know in a case I followed from the start or where I saw interviews, reactions, the case unfold from the start, etc. Just looking for background and asking.

I agree that if the foster mother was at it for 20 years with no issues, why would she risk that and that it seems unlikely she would. I guess part of a thought I had was if she felt he was so upset and broken hearted would she ever aid him to get him with his mother or a relative like if she knew the aunt, etc.? Just because she fosters doesn't mean she agrees with all decisions, she may actually feel for the children and if she feels there is family who cares, etc. Out of the box thought I know... And as far as the sister, also why I asked kind of if I had it right, whether they were both her children and both of the same father because one is missing and the other was not. Again just looking for background.

Or on the flip side, even though the foster mother apparently has never had any complaints, something could have changed in her life, so do stress levels at times. I in no way lean towards or think she did anything, it seems unlikely, but just asking what was known at the time--I mean after 20 years, she could have herself a grown son of her own or a cousin or anything who was visiting or came home with a friend... I have no reason at all to think that, just meaning, it doesn't mean she did anything, all types of things could be the case. My questions stem more from the fact I don't know the circumstances at all nor did I see it from the beginning so they really are entirely generic questions, nothing here leans me one way or the other at all, there just isn't enough to have a leaning. Definitely no accusation or knowledge on my part of this case.

Without going into detail, I talked with someone not too many years ago who said he rode the NYC subway growing up on his own at a fairly young age not as many years ago as one would think and looking back it seems amazing one trusted kids to do that... I do wonder for that reason if this 7 year old child was more savvy to the buses and subways than one would think or at least he felt he was as kids sometimes feel. However, that is also why I wondered if he knew this particular area. It is one thing to know where you are used to going right but another one altogether to go to another area of a big city, etc.?

I certainly am never going to solve anything, I simply naively hope in talking about cases it may trigger better thoughts in those that can or who know more and/or in some small way keep interest alive in a case.

His turning 18, if alive as you say, may trigger something. One can sure hope.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

11 years ago this evening, Patrick disappeared. Into the cold, winter, New York night in his little t-shirt and sneakers.
Lil' Pee would be 18 years old now. I can't even believe it.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Patrick Alford, Staten Islander missing for 11 years, to be featured on ‘In Pursuit With John Walsh’

The show will raise awareness about the disappearance of the then-7-year-old in 2010.

www.silive.com

Patrick Alford, Staten Islander missing for 11 years, to be featured on ‘In Pursuit With John Walsh’​

The unsolved disappearance of Staten Islander Patrick Alford when he was 7 years old will be highlighted in a segment scheduled to air Wednesday on the TV show “In Pursuit With John Walsh.”

Alford, who would be 18 years old today, mysteriously disappeared on the night of Jan. 22, 2010, in Brooklyn. The New Brighton boy was taking out the trash with his foster mother, Librada Moran, when he vanished from a hallway in the Spring Creek development building where they lived at 130 Vandalia Ave.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[Kimster]

I just can’t believe he’s been gone for 10 years! And nothing new has come up. Nada.

 

[kdg411]

 

[Kimster]

I was thinking about him yesterday morning! And then you posted this later on. We will never forget you, Patrick!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

NYPD renews search for Brooklyn boy who went missing more than a decade ago

He was just 7 years old when he vanished from Spring Creek Towers. On the week of his 19th birthday, the NYPD remains hopeful that he's out there somewhere.

bronx.news12.com

NYPD renews search for Brooklyn boy who went missing more than a decade ago​

Detectives are renewing their efforts to find Patrick Alford, a young Brooklyn boy who disappeared more than a decade ago.

He was just 7 years old when he vanished from Spring Creek Towers. On the week of his 19th birthday, the NYPD remains hopeful that he's out there somewhere.

Just days before his birthday, detectives returned to his foster home at Spring Creek Towers, also known as Starrett City.

"Right now, it's still an active investigation. We're still looking for Patrick and we're looking for help from the public," says NYPD missing persons Detective Leiddy Zubber.



Each year, detectives return to the scene and talk to residents with the hoping that one piece to the puzzle falls into place.

"Every little detail can possibly help us," Zubber says. "Now that we have more technology, more social media, we want you to share this story."

The search continues as another Thanksgiving -- and another birthday -- go by with Alford still missing.

"He was 7 years old. Everyone that has a child can possibly relate. It's a scary thing," Zubber says.

On top of the $13,000 Crime Stoppers reward, there is also a $250,000 reward for his safe return.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Happy birthday Patrick.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

(Informative article on this case if you're not familiar.)

The Missing: A dozen years after he vanished in foster care, Patrick Alford’s case still haunts investigators

EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn — When the 12th anniversary of Patrick Alford Jr.’s disappearance arrives Saturday, NYPD investigators from the Missing Persons Squad and Crime Stoppers will be back a…

pix11.com

The Missing: A dozen years after he vanished in foster care, Patrick Alford’s case still haunts investigators​

When the 12th anniversary of Patrick Alford Jr.’s disappearance arrives Saturday, NYPD investigators from the Missing Persons Squad and Crime Stoppers will be back at the last place the 7-year-old boy was seen: an apartment tower in East New York.

“Patrick Alford went out to throw out the garbage and was never seen again,” NYPD Missing Persons Detective Leiddy Zuber said in a video produced last November.

The video was released the week of Patrick Alford Jr.’s 19th birthday, in November 2021.

But the people closest to Patrick never got the chance to see him grow up, after he vanished on Jan. 22, 2010.


In recent years, a $6 million trust was set up for the missing boy, after his family won a federal lawsuit against the city and a foster care agency. A portion of that money, $250,000, was earmarked for a reward, if someone came forward with information that led to Patrick’s whereabouts.

Apparently, there’s still no takers.

Patrick Alford Jr.’s mother has moved out of state, dealing again with another year of pain — a dozen years after she last saw her son.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[Summer_Breeze]

NYPD releases age progression image of Starrett City 7-year-old boy who went missing in 2010

Patrick Alford was last seen outside the building at the Spring Creek Towers on Jan. 22, 2010.

bronx.news12.com

Jan 20, 2023, 10:44pm Updated 9h ago
By: News 12 Staff
The NYPD released Friday an age progression image of a missing Starrett City 7-year-old boy as this weekend will mark 13 years since he disappeared.

The disappearance of Patrick Alford has since remained a cold case. He was last seen outside the building where he lived at 130 Vandalia Ave. at the Spring Creek Towers.

It was Jan. 22, 2010, when police say his foster mother turned her back for just a minute and the next, he was gone and has not been seen since.

The NYPD's Missing Person Squad took over Alford's case. They say they have been searching for him for nearly 13 years and are not done yet.

Using age progression technology, the NYPD released an image they believe Alford could somewhat resemble as this year he would be 20 years old.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

NYPD offers $13K reward on 13th anniversary of Patrick Alford Jr.’s disappearance

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Patrick Alford Jr. disappeared from his Brooklyn home 13 years ago and the NYPD is offering a $13,000 reward for information regarding the case, police said on Sunday. The …

pix11.com

NYPD offers $13K reward on 13th anniversary of Patrick Alford Jr.’s disappearance​

Patrick Alford Jr. disappeared from his Brooklyn home 13 years ago and the NYPD is offering a $13,000 reward for information regarding the case, police said on Sunday.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

New York City's Missing Child Mystery: Where is Patrick Alford Jr.? | Where are they? Podcast | NewsBreak Original

Patrick Alford Jr. was a typical 7-year-old boy in 2010. He was kind-hearted, loved to play video games, and loved playing basketball. But Patrick’s life wasn’t all fun and games.

original.newsbreak.com

New York City's Missing Child Mystery: Where is Patrick Alford Jr.?​

Just like the other cases of children in the system that have gone missing- children such as Harmony Montgomery, Oakley Carlson, Adam Hermann, Jaliek Rainwalker, Ayla Reynolds and so many more.

How have we failed these children so badly that the system put into place to protect them has caused them harm, or allowed them to vanish into thin air?

Patrick was born November 28, 2002, to mom Jennifer Rodriguez and dad Patrick Alford, Sr., and lived in Staten Island, New York. Jennifer was just 15 years old when he was born, and she wasn’t growing up in the best home situation.

It’s said that Patrick Sr. also had his struggles, mostly getting involved in crime and gangs in New York.

Three years later the couple gave birth to a little girl, and Patrick, who had been an easygoing baby and toddler so far, enjoyed being a big brother.

Patrick loved doing things that most 7-year-olds enjoyed- playing basketball, video games, and being silly just to make people laugh.

Despite Jennifer and Patrick Sr.’s battles in life, they felt determined to try their best for the children.

They soon realized that struggle would be much harder than they thought.

In September of 2009, Patrick was just 6 years old and his little sister was only three. They found themselves in the middle of a domestic brawl between their parents and Child Protective Services would be called to intervene and check on the children.

The children were not removed at this time, but this would start an open case with CPS.

On December 26, 2009, the day after Christmas, Jennifer was caught shoplifting. She was taken to jail, and her mother would arrive to pick up the kids. When Jennifer got out of jail, she picked up her daughter but took Patrick Jr to stay with an aunt.

On December 29, 2009, just a few days later, CPS arrived at the home to check on the kids. They found Jennifer in an impaired state, and she did admit to being high on PCP. CPS immediately took the three-year-old girl into custody, but they had to find Patrick.

In Jennifer’s compromised state, she couldn’t remember where Patrick was. After doing some investigating, CPS found Patrick at his aunt’s house.

His aunt wanted to keep the children instead of them going into foster care, but they said that she would have to go through the application process, do a background check, and pass a home test for the children to be able to stay with her.

The children were whisked away into the care of the state.

The next day, December 30, Patrick and his sister were taken to their foster home in Brooklyn, New York. The plan was that Jennifer would be going to rehab and that their aunt would start the process for custody.

Patrick, however, instantly became unruly and very unhappy in his foster home. He wanted his mom and was likely feeling scared and uneasy being a new home, with new people.

To further complicate things for Patrick, his foster mom only spoke Spanish, and Patrick only spoke English.

Patrick was referred to start working with a child psychologist.

On January 6th, a hearing was held for his father, Patrick Sr., to get custody of both Patrick and his sister. He was denied custody, mostly due to this lengthy criminal record.

This would be the start of a rough few weeks at his Brooklyn, New York foster home.

THE DISAPPEARANCE.
On January 22, 2010, Patrick was helping his foster mother take the trash out. They lived on the 11th floor, and their building had a trash chute, one on each floor. Patrick was carrying a bag, and his foster mother was following with another.

As they started to leave the apartment and head down the hallway, the apartment telephone rang. Patrick kept walking towards the trash chute, while his foster mom went back in to answer the phone.

It isn’t clear how much time went by before she went back out into the hallway, but when she did, Patrick was nowhere to be found. A quick search around the building also yielded no signs of the little boy.

Patrick had simply walked out of the building holding a bag of trash and vanished into thin air.

When some time went by, and there were still no signs of Patrick, the local police department was called in to assist.

Patrick Alford Jr. had disappeared.

THE SEARCH.

By all accounts, it does seem as if law enforcement acted right away. There are even detectives to this day who say this is the one case that continues to haunt them.

When police showed up, it was late evening, yet they started searching the building immediately. They searched the trash chute itself, and every floor of that building, and spoke to every resident there they could.

There was only one resident who reported possibly seeing Patrick that evening, but this resident lived on the 16th floor. If it was Patrick, why was he up there?

Searches extended to nearby buildings, parks, and even to Staten Island where Patrick was from.

It was believed early on, that Patrick’s mom Jennifer had been involved in taking Patrick. Jennifer would be arrested and questioned regarding his disappearance for several days. She was put through extensive questioning and finally, she was given a polygraph test, which she passed.

Jennifer would finally be released from police custody and would resume the search for her son.

I can’t imagine how traumatic that would be, to be locked up and blamed for your son’s disappearance, all the while having no idea where he was and not being able to get out and look for him.

His biological father, Patrick Sr., was also cleared.

It isn’t believed that his foster mother was ever a suspect, although very little was ever noted about that.

In total, authorities would interview over 14,000 people, search over 200 buildings, search several bodies of water, and bring in search dogs.

The dogs traced Patrick’s scent to a nearby bus station at the corner of Pennsylvania and Schroeder Avenue.

Could Patrick have left on his own, hoping to get back to his mother in Staten Island? Or, did someone take Patrick to this bus station?

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

There were two main areas of focus- Brooklyn, New York, where Patrick lived with his foster mom and where he was last seen, and Staten Island, New York where he might have been trying to get to so he could be reunited with his mother. Both of these areas are boroughs of New York City.

Brooklyn is located on the end of Long Island, and just across the East River on the South Side of Manhattan.

Since he was last seen in Brooklyn, let’s focus here.


Police had checked bus records, since his scent was tracked to the bus stop, but found no indication Patrick had been on a bus.

This bus stop, at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Schroeders Avenue, was located almost right in front of the apartment complex.

There are many, many apartment buildings in that immediate vicinity, housing tens of thousands of people. It’s a busy and populated city area.

Yet no one came forward claiming to have seen Patrick.

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