A man who was abducted as a six-year-old while playing in a California park in 1951 has been found more than 70 years later, thanks to an online ancestry test, old photographs, and newspaper archives.
Luis Armando Albino’s niece, Alida Alequin, in Oakland, located her uncle with the help of police, the FBI, and the Justice Department. Albino, now a father and grandfather, is a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. He was reunited with his California family in June.
On February 21, 1951, a woman lured young Albino from a park in West Oakland, promising him candy in Spanish. Instead, she kidnapped the Puerto Rico-born boy and took him to the East Coast, where he was raised by a couple as their own son. The specific location of his residence remains undisclosed.
For decades, Albino’s family held onto hope. His photo was displayed in relatives’ homes, and his mother, who passed away in 2005, never gave up believing he was alive. Oakland police noted that Alequin’s efforts were crucial in finding her uncle, calling the outcome of the search a testament to their goals.
In a heartfelt interview, Alequin recounted the moment Albino thanked her, saying, “He hugged me and said, ‘Thank you for finding me’ and gave me a kiss on the cheek.”
Media reports from the time indicated a massive search effort involving local police, soldiers, and the Coast Guard, who scoured the San Francisco Bay and surrounding areas. Albino’s brother, Roger, was questioned multiple times but remained consistent in his account of the abduction.
The first sign that Albino might still be alive emerged in 2020 when Alequin took an online DNA test for fun, discovering a 22% match with a man who turned out to be her uncle. Despite her initial efforts yielding no responses, she and her daughters continued searching. A visit to the Oakland library, where she examined microfilm of newspaper articles featuring Luis and Roger, provided the encouragement she needed to approach the police.
Upon reviewing the new lead, investigators opened a new missing persons case. Luis was eventually located on the East Coast and provided DNA samples, along with his sister, Alequin’s mother.
On June 20, investigators delivered the news of his discovery to Alequin and her mother. “We didn’t start crying until after the investigators left,” she recalled. “I grabbed my mom’s hands and said, ‘We found him.’ I was ecstatic.”
On June 24, with FBI assistance, Luis traveled to Oakland to meet Alequin, her mother, and other family members. The following day, Alequin took them to Roger’s home in Stanislaus County, where the brothers shared an emotional reunion, discussing the kidnapping and their military experiences.
Luis returned to the East Coast but visited again in July, marking the last time he saw Roger, who passed away in August.
Although Luis chose not to speak to the media, Alequin expressed her determination to share their story. “I was always determined to find him, and who knows, maybe my story can help other families in similar situations,” she said. “I would say: don’t give up.”