Boy abducted from park aged six is FOUND 73 years later after niece who never gave up on finding him cracks cold case

A BOY who was abducted from a parkland astatine conscionable six years aged has been recovered aft a shocking 73 years.

Luis Armando Albino, present aged 79, is present harmless and well thanks to his hard-nosed niece who ne'er gave up trying to find him.

On February 21, 1951, Luis was kidnapped by a woman from a West Oakland park, successful California, wherever helium was playing with his ten-year-old older brother, Roger.

The pistillate tricked him into reasoning she would bargain him candy successful bid to get his attraction and entice him away.

After that, small Luis was transported by aerial to the East Coast, wherever helium was brought up arsenic a lad by a mates successful New York City.

Luis's parent ne'er gave up connected the anticipation that helium would 1 time return, harmless and sound.

Read much connected California

She sadly died successful 2005 astatine the property of 92 without ever uncovering retired what had go of her beloved son.

Only aboriginal this year, a funny and diligent niece of Luis's utilized DNA investigating and accusation from paper clippings successful her quest for the truth, starring to a breakthrough successful the case.

Alida Alequin, 63, had stayed successful Oakland and was determined to find her long-lost uncle.

With assistance from the Department of Justice, the FBI, and section police, she was capable to portion unneurotic the evidence.

Her actions "played an integral relation successful uncovering her uncle," according to Oakland police.

Luis seemed to person had a engaged beingness aft being taken distant from his family.

He had been a firefighter and had served 2 tours of work successful Vietnam with the Marine Corps.

He had besides go a dada and a gramps himself.

And now, for the archetypal clip successful implicit 7 decades, brothers Luis and Roger, present 83, were capable to reunite acknowledgment to Alida's efforts.

She told Mercury News however her uncle kissed her connected the cheek, "hugged me, and said, 'Thank you for uncovering me.'"

The reunion sadly had a bittersweet code arsenic Roger didn't person overmuch clip near to unrecorded aft receiving a crab diagnosis.

"They grabbed each different and had a truly tight, agelong hug. They sat down and conscionable talked," Alida remarked.

The 2 discussed their past experiences, including their clip successful the subject and the events starring up to the abduction.

In July, Luis had 1 last brushwood with his member earlier Roger passed distant a period aboriginal successful August.

"I deliberation helium died happily. He was astatine bid with himself, knowing that his member was found," Alida said. 

"I was conscionable truthful blessed I was capable to bash this for him and bring him closure and peace."

The niece believes that her grandma, Luis' mother, would person been "very happy, astir definitely. She ne'er forgot him.

"She ever said helium was inactive alive. She had anticipation she would spot him. She ne'er gave up that hope."

Alida continued: "I'm truthful blessed that I was capable to bash this for my ma and [uncle]. It was a precise blessed ending.

"I was ever determined to find him, and who knows, with my communicative retired there, it could assistance different families going done the aforesaid thing.

"I would say, don't springiness up."

Although Luis hasn't talked to the media yet, helium does retrieve immoderate details of his captivity.

Those successful his contiguous vicinity successful New York would not respond to enquiries astir the circumstances of his kidnapping, and helium was ne'er informed of what was happening.

And the radical helium thought were his parents person present passed away.

THE RELENTLESS SEARCH

One of 5 siblings, Luis had been playing astatine what was erstwhile called West Oakland's Jefferson Square Park.

Police, unneurotic with Coast Guard unit and service soldiers, combed the portion and San Francisco Bay aft his kidnapping.

Roger, his brother, was questioned aggregate times and insisted that his member had been abducted by a pistillate wearing a bandana astir her head.

In an effort to aid, the FBI was besides brought in, but the lawsuit went acold and filed.

Luis' ma would often cheque successful with the constabulary missing idiosyncratic bureau for updates.

At first, she would spell each day, past each week, past each month, and finally, erstwhile a year.

But it appeared that the authorities were nary person to discovering the truth.

Alida said: "She ever felt helium was alive. She took that with her to her grave.

"All this clip the household kept reasoning of him. I ever knew I had an uncle. We spoke of him a lot.

"My grandma carried the archetypal nonfiction successful her wallet, and she ever talked astir him. A representation of him was ever hung astatine the household home."

Alida was the 1 who kick-started the hunt for her missing uncle erstwhile she did an online DNA trial for amusive successful 2020.

Luis, who she was unaware of, was a 22 percent match, according to the results.

She reached retired to him but ne'er heard back.

Only aboriginal successful the twelvemonth did Alida's ain daughters commencement looking into the contented further and searching for Luis's sanction online.

A microfilm of his pictures recovered astatine the Oakland Public Library reassured them that the antheral they were seeing was, successful fact, their long-lost uncle.

Once again, the FBI and authorities Department of Justice were engaged successful a caller missing persons case.

It was discovered that Luis was residing connected the East Coast, and helium adjacent submitted a DNA illustration to verify his identity.

To corroborate that Luis had been found, investigators visited Alida's mother's location (Luis and Roger's sister).

"In my bosom I knew it was him and erstwhile I got the confirmation, I fto retired a large 'YES!'," the niece said.

"We didn't commencement crying until aft the investigators left.

"I grabbed my mom's hands and said, 'We recovered him.' I was ecstatic."

The FBI says that the kidnapping is inactive nether probe adjacent if the missing idiosyncratic lawsuit has been closed.