A man in his 70s recently discovered his long-lost family after he was abducted as a 6-year-old boy in California.
In 1951, Luis Armando Albino was playing at the park with his older brother, Roger. A woman walked up to Albino and kidnapped him. Albino's family didn't know what happened or if their child was alright.
According to an article in the Oakland Tribune back in 1966, 15 years after Albino had been kidnapped, they concluded that a Spanish-speaking woman walked up to Albino in the park. The Puerto Rico-born boy was surprised by the language he recognized well and followed her after she promised him some candy from her vehicle.
The Mercury News shared that the abductor took Albino in a plane and flew across the country. The woman then handed over Albino to a couple that ended up raising him as their own child.
Time Gone By
Now, seven decades later, Albino was found alive and well by a niece who had never met him.
As the years passed after Albino's kidnapping, his family kept pictures of him around, while his mother never lost hope that he was still alive.
Throughout his life, Albino was a firefighter and Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. He also has a family of his own, including grandchildren.
Back in 2020, Albino's biological niece, Alida Alequin, decided to take an online DNA test for fun. It did result in a match with Albino.
As the years went on, Alequin continued searching for her long lost uncle. She brought information to the police who reopened the missing persons case.
On June 20, investigators contacted Alequin and her mother, Albino's sister, sharing that they found their missing relative on the East Coast. More DNA tests from the two siblings revealed a match. A few days later, the FBI arranged for Albino to visit Oakland and see his family.
A Family Meeting
"In my heart I knew it was him, and when I got the confirmation, I let out a big 'YES!'" Alequin said. "We didn't start crying until after the investigators left. I grabbed my mom's hands and said, 'We found him!' I was ecstatic."
According to Mercury News, Albino was so touched when he met Alequin and his sister, whom he hadn't seen in over 70 years.
"Thank you for finding me," he said to his sister. When Albino met his older brother, the one who was at the park the day he was taken, the two held each other in a hug for a long time.
Albino flew back home after the meeting his family and a few weeks later his older brother passed away.
"He was at peace with himself, knowing that his brother was found," Alequin said. "I was just so happy I was able to do this for him and bring him closure and peace."
While he's not quite ready to talk to the media about what happened, Albino vaguely remembers being kidnapped and taken across the country. The adults in his life never explained the situation to him.