US Boy Who Was Kidnapped From California In 1951 Returns 70 Years Later

A man who was abducted as a six-year-old boy over 70 years ago has been found alive on the East Coast of the United States. Luis Armando Albino disappeared on February 21, 1951, from a park in West Oakland, California. He was lured away by a woman who promised to buy him sweets while he played with his 10-year-old brother, Roger. For decades, his whereabouts remained a mystery, until this year, when DNA testing and family efforts revealed the truth.

The Mercury News first reported the discovery, which came after Mr Albino's niece, Alida Alequin, set on a quest to find her uncle. Using DNA testing, newspaper clippings and help from the Oakland Police Department, FBI and Department of Justice, Ms Alequin, a 63-year-old Oakland resident, tracked her uncle down. Luis Albino He is now a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran, having served two tours in Vietnam.

In June, Mr Albino, now 79, was reunited with emotional family members, including his older brother, Roger, who died from cancer last month at the age of 82. The brothers shared a heartwarming reunion before Mr Roger's death, with Alida Alequin describing the moment, “They grabbed each other and had a really tight, long hug. They sat down and just talked."

Ms search began in 2020 when she casually took an online DNA test. The results revealed a 22 per cent match with Albino, leading her to dig deeper into family history. Along with her daughters, Ms Alequin sifted through newspaper archives and microfilm at local libraries, ultimately finding pictures of Luis Albino that confirmed her suspicions. Her determination was key to solving the decades-old mystery.

Mr Albino recalls parts of his abduction and journey to the East Coast but shared that those around him at the time refused to provide answers. Now, he prefers to keep some of his experiences private. 

Unfortunately, their mother, who died in 2005 at the age of 92, never lived to see the mystery solved.

Ms Alequin described Roger's final days as peaceful. She said he "died happily" and was "at peace with himself, knowing his brother had been found."