Brooklyn, New York — January 22, 2010
Patrick Alford was only 7 years old when he disappeared.
He did not vanish from a park.
He did not disappear while walking home from school.
Patrick disappeared while under the care of New York City’s child welfare system.
Four weeks earlier, on December 26, 2009, Patrick’s mother, Jennifer Rodriguez, lost temporary custody of her three children after a theft arrest and admitting to drug use. Patrick, who had ADHD, was placed in foster care with Librada Moran at 130 Vandalia Avenue in Brooklyn’s Spring Creek Towers.
Less than one month later, he was gone.
Patrick Vanishes from Foster Care
According to investigators, around 9:00 p.m. on January 22, 2010, Librada Moran told authorities she took Patrick with her to throw out the trash.
She claimed that somewhere in the hallway of the apartment building, Patrick disappeared.
There were no witnesses.
There was no surveillance footage showing Patrick leaving the building.
No explanation has ever fully accounted for how a 7-year-old child vanished without a trace.
Police responded immediately and deployed K-9 units.
Patrick’s scent was tracked to the area of Pennsylvania Avenue and Schroeder Avenue before abruptly ending.
He has never been found.
Jennifer Rodriguez Was Wrongfully Blamed
Moran told investigators Patrick had talked about running away to reunite with his mother.
One week later, a Family Court judge ordered Jennifer Rodriguez to produce her missing son.
Distraught and insisting she had no idea where Patrick was, Jennifer appeared in court expecting help.
Instead, she was jailed.
She later passed a polygraph examination, and child welfare officials ultimately concluded she had no involvement in Patrick’s disappearance.
She was released.
Her son remained missing.
Questions About the Foster Placement
As the investigation continued, troubling details emerged.
Patrick spoke only English.
His foster mother reportedly spoke only Spanish.
The language barrier raised questions about whether Patrick’s emotional, behavioral, and medical needs could have been properly understood.
His ADHD and special needs also prompted criticism of the placement itself.
Despite years of investigation, no one has been charged in Patrick’s disappearance.
A Mother’s Fight for Accountability
In 2010, Jennifer Rodriguez filed a federal lawsuit against the City of New York, St. Vincent’s foster care agency, Librada Moran, and others, alleging catastrophic failures by the agencies responsible for protecting her son.
In August 2018, she was awarded a $6 million settlement.
Jennifer has repeatedly said the money would never replace her son.
Instead, she planned to use it to continue searching for Patrick and, if he is ever found alive, provide for his future care.
“We just got to keep on trying. I’m never gonna give up until the day I die,” she said.
Patrick Should Be an Adult Today
Patrick Alford was approximately 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 65 pounds when he disappeared.
Today, he should be an adult.
Instead, his disappearance remains one of New York City’s most troubling unsolved missing child cases.
A child entered foster care.
Weeks later, he vanished.
More than 15 years have passed, and Patrick Alford has never been found.
Anyone with information about Patrick Alford’s disappearance is urged to contact the New York Police Department at 718-827-3551.
There is currently a $13,000 Crime Stoppers reward, along with an additional $250,000 reward for information leading to Patrick’s safe return.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished