Luis Armando Albino, who was just six years old when he was abducted from a park in Oakland, California, in 1951, has been located alive 70 years later. The kidnapping occurred when a woman lured him away under the pretense of buying candy.
Thanks to an online DNA test taken by Albino’s niece in 2020, which revealed a 22% match with a man later identified as her uncle, the search for him was reignited. With the support of police and the FBI, his niece, Alida Alequin, managed to track him down living on the East Coast.
Now a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran, Albino was raised by a couple who took him in after the abduction.
His family had never given up hope of finding him, keeping his photo displayed in their homes over the decades.
In June 2024, Alequin and her family were informed by investigators that Albino had been found. A reunion followed, where emotional meetings took place, allowing him to reconnect with his family.
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Although Luis returned to the East Coast, he visited California again shortly after to spend time with his brother, Roger, who sadly passed away shortly thereafter.
Reflecting on the experience, Alequin urged others in similar situations not to lose hope in their search for missing loved ones. The case remains open as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Albino’s abduction.
