Luis Armando Albino, who was just 6 years old when he was abducted in 1951 from a park in Oakland, California, has been found more than seven decades later, thanks to an online ancestry test and the efforts of his family.
According to the Bay Area News Group, Albino’s niece, Alida Alequin, 63, worked with local police, the FBI, and the Justice Department to locate her uncle, who now lives on the East Coast. Albino, a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran, was reunited with his California family in June.
On February 21, 1951, a woman lured young Albino from the West Oakland park where he was playing with his older brother, promising him candy in Spanish. Instead of delivering on that promise, she kidnapped him and took him to the East Coast, where he was raised by a couple as their own child. The specific location of his residence on the East Coast has not been disclosed.
For over 70 years, Albino remained missing, but his family never lost hope. His photo was displayed in their homes, and his mother, who passed away in 2005, always believed he was still alive. Oakland police acknowledged the vital role Alequin played in finding her uncle, stating that the outcome reflects their commitment to resolving such cases.
In an interview, Alequin recounted a touching moment when her uncle embraced her, saying, “Thank you for finding me,” and kissing her on the cheek.
In the early days of the investigation, a massive search was conducted involving local police, soldiers from a nearby army base, and the Coast Guard, as reported by the Oakland Tribune. Albino’s brother, Roger, was interrogated multiple times but remained steadfast in his account of a woman with a bandana taking Luis.
The first hint that her uncle might still be alive came in 2020 when Alequin took an online DNA test, which revealed a 22 percent match with a man who was later identified as Luis. Initial searches yielded no results, but in early 2024, Alequin and her daughters resumed their search. While visiting the Oakland Public Library, she discovered microfilm of old Tribune articles, including one featuring a photo of both Luis and Roger. This discovery prompted her to approach the Oakland police, leading to the reopening of Luis’s missing persons case.
With the help of the FBI, Luis provided a DNA sample, along with Alequin’s mother. On June 20, investigators visited Alequin’s home to inform them that Luis had been found. “We didn’t start crying until after the investigators left,” she recalled. “I grabbed my mom’s hands and said, ‘We found him.’ I was ecstatic.”
On June 24, with the FBI’s assistance, Luis traveled to Oakland to meet Alequin, her mother, and other relatives. The following day, Alequin drove them to Roger’s home in Stanislaus County, where Luis and Roger shared a heartfelt reunion, discussing the events of the kidnapping and their military experiences.
Luis returned to the East Coast but visited again in July for a three-week stay, marking the last time he saw Roger, who passed away in August.
Alequin mentioned that her uncle prefers to stay out of the media spotlight but expressed her determination to share their story. “I was always determined to find him, and who knows, with my story out there, it could help other families going through the same thing,” she said. “I would say, don’t give up.”
