The missing person from 1951, Luis Armando Albino, was found thanks to an online genealogy test
23 september 2024 в 19:13
Luis Armando Albino disappeared in February 1951 after being abducted in Oakland, California, when he was 6 years old. He is now over 70 years old, and he is still alive. Thanks to his niece Alida Alekin, Armando was found through an online genealogy test, as reported by Mercury News.
Over 70 years ago, Albino was kidnapped when a woman lured him with candy while he was playing in the park with his older brother Roger. She then took Albino to the East Coast, where he was reportedly raised by a couple as if he were their own son. His late mother, Antonia Albino, never gave up hope of finding her son. For many years, she had a feeling that her son was still alive and kept his photo in the living room, according to various sources. Albino’s mother passed away at the age of 92 in 2005.
Armando’s niece told Mercury News last week: «She had hope that she would see him. She never gave up on that hope».
In 2020, Alekin took an online genealogy test, which required her to provide a DNA sample. The sample matched 22 percent with her uncle, but initially she did not make the connection that Albino was her relative. However, earlier this year, Alekin and other family members reviewed old newspapers to determine if the missing child from the 1950s could be her uncle.
Alekin then presented her findings to the Oakland police, who helped investigate the information. Albino also provided a DNA sample to law enforcement, and his identity was confirmed. Authorities told Mercury News that Alekin’s search «played a key role in finding her uncle».
Ultimately, Albino was reunited with his family. Alekin described their joyful reunion to the publication, noting that her uncle «hugged [her] and said, 'Thank you for finding me' and kissed [her] on the cheek».
«All this time the family was thinking about him», - Alekin said. «I always knew I had an uncle. We talked a lot about him».
During his visit to the West Coast, Albino also visited his brother Roger, decades after his disappearance. The brothers, according to Alekin, talked about their military service and connected through their childhood. It was the last time Albino saw his brother, as he passed away last summer.
Albino, who is now a father and grandfather, decided to keep his private life and declined to publicly speak about reuniting with his family
Over 70 years ago, Albino was kidnapped when a woman lured him with candy while he was playing in the park with his older brother Roger. She then took Albino to the East Coast, where he was reportedly raised by a couple as if he were their own son. His late mother, Antonia Albino, never gave up hope of finding her son. For many years, she had a feeling that her son was still alive and kept his photo in the living room, according to various sources. Albino’s mother passed away at the age of 92 in 2005.
Armando’s niece told Mercury News last week: «She had hope that she would see him. She never gave up on that hope».
In 2020, Alekin took an online genealogy test, which required her to provide a DNA sample. The sample matched 22 percent with her uncle, but initially she did not make the connection that Albino was her relative. However, earlier this year, Alekin and other family members reviewed old newspapers to determine if the missing child from the 1950s could be her uncle.
Alekin then presented her findings to the Oakland police, who helped investigate the information. Albino also provided a DNA sample to law enforcement, and his identity was confirmed. Authorities told Mercury News that Alekin’s search «played a key role in finding her uncle».
Ultimately, Albino was reunited with his family. Alekin described their joyful reunion to the publication, noting that her uncle «hugged [her] and said, 'Thank you for finding me' and kissed [her] on the cheek».
«All this time the family was thinking about him», - Alekin said. «I always knew I had an uncle. We talked a lot about him».
During his visit to the West Coast, Albino also visited his brother Roger, decades after his disappearance. The brothers, according to Alekin, talked about their military service and connected through their childhood. It was the last time Albino saw his brother, as he passed away last summer.
Albino, who is now a father and grandfather, decided to keep his private life and declined to publicly speak about reuniting with his family
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
