Luis Armando Albino, abducted as a six-year-old from an Oakland park in 1951, has been reunited with his family after an incredible journey spanning more than seven decades, CNN reports.
The discovery, thanks to an online DNA test, old newspaper clippings, and efforts from his niece, Alida Alequin, has brought closure to a long-standing mystery.
Albino, now a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran, was lured away from a West Oakland park by a woman who promised him candy in Spanish. He was then flown to the East Coast and raised by a couple who believed he was their own son. His whereabouts remained unknown for over 70 years, leaving his family with a gaping void.
Alequin, driven by a persistent hope, took an online DNA test in 2020 that revealed a 22 percent match with a man who, unbeknownst to her, was her uncle. Though she pursued this lead at the time, it yielded no immediate answers.
In early 2024, Alequin and her daughters embarked on a new search, poring over Oakland Tribune microfilm at the Oakland Public Library. A photograph of Luis and his brother, Roger, from a 1951 article cemented her belief that she was on the right track. She immediately contacted Oakland police, reigniting the investigation.
With the new lead, authorities reopened the missing persons case. A DNA sample from Luis, who had been located on the East Coast, was matched with his sister, Alequin’s mother. The confirmation came on June 20, 2024, bringing tears of joy and relief to the family.
A reunion was planned, and on June 24, Luis traveled to Oakland to meet his niece, her mother, and other relatives. A day later, Alequin drove her mother and Luis to Roger’s home in Stanislaus County, California. Though Luis returned to the East Coast, he visited again in July, spending three weeks with his family. Sadly, Roger passed away in August.
The Oakland Police Department has closed the missing persons case, but the FBI considers the 1951 kidnapping an open investigation.
