Luis Armando Albino was just 6 years old in 1951 when he was kidnapped while playing at a park in Oakland, California. Now, over 70 years later, Albino has been found, thanks to an online ancestry test, old photos, and newspaper articles.

The Bay Area News Group reported that Albino’s niece, with help from the police, FBI, and Justice Department, tracked him down living on the East Coast. Albino, now a father and grandfather, is a retired firefighter and a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, according to his 63-year-old niece, Alida Alequin. She located him and reunited him with his California family in June.

On February 21, 1951, a woman lured the 6-year-old boy from the West Oakland park where he had been playing with his older brother. Speaking in Spanish, she promised the Puerto Rican-born child candy but instead kidnapped him, flying him to the East Coast. There, he was raised by a couple who treated him as their own. Officials have not revealed the exact location where Albino has been living.

For more than seven decades, Albino remained missing, though his family never forgot him, keeping his photo displayed in their homes. His mother, who passed away in 2005, never lost hope that he was alive.

The Oakland police credited Alequin’s dedication for playing a key role in locating her uncle, stating, “the outcome of this story is what we strive for.”

In an interview, Alequin recalled that her uncle hugged her, saying, “Thank you for finding me,” before kissing her cheek. Articles from the Oakland Tribune at the time described a large-scale search effort involving police, soldiers, the Coast Guard, and city employees. Despite extensive searches, including the San Francisco Bay, no trace of Luis was found. His older brother, Roger, was repeatedly questioned by investigators, but he consistently told the same story of a woman with a bandana taking his brother.

The first clue that her uncle might still be alive came in 2020 when Alequin took a DNA test for fun, which revealed a 22 percent match with a man who turned out to be Luis. Initial attempts to contact him went unanswered.

In early 2024, Alequin resumed her search, reviewing old Oakland Tribune articles at the public library. One photo of Luis and Roger convinced her she was on the right path. She immediately reported her findings to the Oakland police, who reopened the case. After investigators confirmed the lead, Luis provided a DNA sample, as did his sister, Alequin’s mother.

On June 20, police informed Alequin and her mother that Luis had been found. “We didn’t start crying until after the investigators left,” Alequin recalled. “I grabbed my mom’s hands and said, ‘We found him.’ I was overjoyed.”

With the FBI’s help, Luis traveled to Oakland on June 24 to reunite with Alequin, her mother, and other family members. The following day, Alequin drove her mother and Luis to Stanislaus County, California, where he reunited with his brother Roger. The two shared a long, emotional hug and spent time discussing the day of the kidnapping, their military experiences, and more.

Luis later returned to the East Coast but came back for another visit in July. Sadly, it was his last time seeing Roger, who passed away in August.

Although Luis has chosen not to speak to the media, Alequin remains hopeful her story can inspire others. “I was always determined to find him,” she said, “and who knows, maybe my story will help other families going through something similar. I would tell them, don’t give up.”