A 6-year-old boy who was kidnapped while playing in a park in California in 1951 was found alive on the streets 70 years later. East CoastThis could be due to an online ancestry test, old photos and newspaper clippings, AP reported.
Luis Armando Albinonow a father, grandfather and retired firefighter, was found by his niece, Alida Alequinwith the help of FBIMinistry of Justice and Oakland PoliceThe Bay Area News Group reported Friday that Albino had been living on the East Coast.
Although Albino has chosen not to speak to the media, Alequin shared her relief and hope for other families in similar situations. “I was always determined to find him,” she said. “Who knows, maybe my story will help other families going through the same thing. I would say: don’t give up.”
Albino’s disappearance began on February 21, 1951, when a woman lured him away from a West Oakland park with the promise of candy. She kidnapped him and flew him to the East Coast, where a couple raised him as their own son.
However, his family never stopped looking for him. His photo hangs in their homes. Albino’s mother, who died in 2005, always believed he was alive.
Alequin’s determination to find her uncle began with an online DNA test She took a test in 2020. The test showed a 22 percent match with a man who turned out to be her uncle.
Although her initial efforts resulted in no contact, her persistence paid off in 2024 when she was searching through old Oakland Tribune articles and discovered a picture of Luis and his brother Roger that convinced her she was on the right track. She immediately contacted Oakland Police with the tip.
Soon after Missing persons case was reopened and DNA testing confirmed that Albino was alive. In June 2024, investigators informed Alequin and her mother that Albino had been found. “We didn’t start crying until the investigators left,” Alequin recalled. “I took my mother’s hands and said, ‘We found him.’ I was beside myself with joy.”
Albino traveled to Oakland on June 24, where he reunited with his family. He also visited his brother Roger in Stanislaus County, California“They hugged each other and hugged each other tightly and for a long time,” said Alequin. The reunion was warm and they reminisced about their childhood, the day of the kidnapping and their military service.
Luis Armando Albinonow a father, grandfather and retired firefighter, was found by his niece, Alida Alequinwith the help of FBIMinistry of Justice and Oakland PoliceThe Bay Area News Group reported Friday that Albino had been living on the East Coast.
Although Albino has chosen not to speak to the media, Alequin shared her relief and hope for other families in similar situations. “I was always determined to find him,” she said. “Who knows, maybe my story will help other families going through the same thing. I would say: don’t give up.”
Albino’s disappearance began on February 21, 1951, when a woman lured him away from a West Oakland park with the promise of candy. She kidnapped him and flew him to the East Coast, where a couple raised him as their own son.
However, his family never stopped looking for him. His photo hangs in their homes. Albino’s mother, who died in 2005, always believed he was alive.
Alequin’s determination to find her uncle began with an online DNA test She took a test in 2020. The test showed a 22 percent match with a man who turned out to be her uncle.
Although her initial efforts resulted in no contact, her persistence paid off in 2024 when she was searching through old Oakland Tribune articles and discovered a picture of Luis and his brother Roger that convinced her she was on the right track. She immediately contacted Oakland Police with the tip.
Soon after Missing persons case was reopened and DNA testing confirmed that Albino was alive. In June 2024, investigators informed Alequin and her mother that Albino had been found. “We didn’t start crying until the investigators left,” Alequin recalled. “I took my mother’s hands and said, ‘We found him.’ I was beside myself with joy.”
Albino traveled to Oakland on June 24, where he reunited with his family. He also visited his brother Roger in Stanislaus County, California“They hugged each other and hugged each other tightly and for a long time,” said Alequin. The reunion was warm and they reminisced about their childhood, the day of the kidnapping and their military service.
