A man abducted as a six-year-old in 1951 has been found alive after more than 70 years. Luis Armando Albino disappeared from a park in West Oakland, California, on February 21, 1951, while playing with his older brother, Roger. A woman lured him away with the promise of sweets, and for decades, his whereabouts remained unknown. However, this year, DNA testing and relentless family efforts finally uncovered the mystery.
Luis Albino’s niece, Alida Alequin, a 63-year-old Oakland resident, spearheaded the search that led to her uncle’s discovery. Her quest began in 2020 when she took an online DNA test, which revealed a 22 percent match with Albino. This discovery prompted her to dive deep into family history, examining newspaper archives, microfilm, and police records. Her efforts paid off when she found a photograph of Luis Albino, confirming her suspicions. With help from the Oakland Police Department, the FBI, and the Department of Justice, she successfully tracked him down.
Albino, now 79, is a retired firefighter and a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Vietnam. He was reunited with emotional family members in June, including his older brother Roger, who had long believed his younger brother was lost forever. Just a month after their heartwarming reunion, Roger, aged 82, passed away from cancer. Alequin, describing the reunion, said, “They grabbed each other and had a really tight, long hug. They sat down and just talked.” Roger died peacefully, content with the knowledge that his brother had been found.
Though Albino remembers parts of his abduction and journey to the East Coast, he prefers to keep some details private. He revealed that those around him at the time refused to provide him with answers about his past. Sadly, their mother, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 92, never saw the mystery of her missing son solved.
Alida Alequin described her uncle's reunion with Roger as one of the most emotional moments of their lives. Albino’s discovery has closed a long chapter in their lives, allowing the family to find peace at last.
Reference:
1. Harris, Harry. “Boy Abducted in Oakland in 1951 at Age 6 Found Alive on East Coast.” The Mercury News, September 21, 2024. https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/09/20/oakland-boy-kidnapped-1951-found-alive-new-york/.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)
