Family Reunites with Man Kidnapped as a Child 70 Years Ago: “We Found Him”

In a remarkable turn of events, Luis Armando Albino, who was kidnapped as a five-year-old from an Oakland park in 1951, has been found alive over 70 years later. His incredible story of disappearance and reunion has brought both joy and closure to his surviving family.

Luis, his mother, and five siblings had moved from Puerto Rico to California in the 1950s, enduring tough times. His mother, Antonia, worked hard picking fruit and sewing gloves to support her family. On February 21, 1951, Luis and his older brother Roger, 10, were playing at Jefferson Square Park near their home on Brush Street in Oakland.

It was then that a Spanish-speaking woman in her 30s, wearing a green bandana, approached the boys, offering to buy them candy. Instead, she kidnapped Luis and took him across the country to the east coast. Raised by another couple, Luis went on to live a full life, becoming a firefighter and a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, completely unaware of his origins.

Despite the decades that passed, Luis’s family never gave up hope. His mother made frequent visits to the police station for updates on her missing son. Then, in 2020, a breakthrough occurred. Luis’s niece, Alida Alequin, 63, decided to take an online DNA test, initially just “for fun.” The results revealed a 22 percent match to an unknown man. Although Alida didn’t immediately recognize him, she believed this man could be her long-lost uncle. Her initial attempts to contact him went unanswered.

Determined, Alequin continued her search. Earlier this year, she visited the Oakland Public Library and found a microfilm of old Tribune articles, including a photo of Luis and Roger from the time of the abduction. Armed with this information, she visited the Oakland police, who agreed to investigate further.

Luis was eventually tracked down on the east coast. With the help of the FBI, he was reunited with his family in Oakland after DNA tests confirmed his identity. Alequin shared the emotional moment when she told her mother the news: “We didn’t start crying until after the investigators left… I grabbed my mom’s hands and said, ‘We found him.’ I was ecstatic”,  told The Bay Area News Group.

Sadly, Luis’s mother passed away in 2005, and while he was able to reunite with his brother Roger, Roger passed away just two months later.

“I was always determined to find him,” said Alequin. “Who knows, with my story out there, it could help other families going through the same thing. I would say: don’t give up.”

Oakland police commended Alequin’s determination, stating that her efforts “played an integral role in finding her uncle,” and that “the outcome of this story is what we strive for.” After a three-week visit with his family, Luis returned to the east coast, finally reunited after a lifetime apart.