A man who was kidnapped at age six while playing in a park in California in 1951 was found seven decades later, thanks to the help of an online test, old photos, and newspaper clippings.
Luis Armando Albino’s niece, who lives in Oakland—with the help of the police, FBI, and the Department of Justice—located her uncle living on the East Coast. Albino, now a father and grandfather, is a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, according to his niece, 63-year-old Alinda Alequin. She found Albino and reunited him with his family in California in June, according to The Guardian.
On February 21, 1951, a woman lured the 6-year-old Albino from a park in West Oakland, where he was playing with his older brother, by promising to buy him candy. The woman kidnapped the boy, who was born in Puerto Rico, and took him to the East Coast, where he ended up with a couple who raised him as their own son.
For over 70 years, Albino remained missing, but he was always in the hearts of his family. His mother passed away in 2005 but never lost hope that her son was alive.
Oakland police acknowledged that Alequin’s efforts “played an integral role in finding her uncle” and that “the outcome of this story is what we strive for.” In an interview, Alequin shared that her uncle hugged her and said, “Thank you for finding me.”
The first hint that her uncle might still be alive came in 2020 when Alequin, “just for fun,” took an online DNA test. The test revealed a 22% match with a man who turned out to be her uncle. At that time, further investigation didn’t yield any answers or a response from him, she said.
Earlier this year, she and her daughters resumed their search. During a visit to the Oakland public library, she reviewed microfilm of Tribune articles, including one with a photo of Luis and his brother Roger, which convinced her they were on the right track. She went to the Oakland police the same day.
