A Random DNA Test By Niece Helps Locate Her Missing Uncle Who Was Abducted 70 Years Ago

A Child Goes Missing

Losing a child is a nightmare no family would ever want to experience. The Albino family was struck by a tragedy for life when their youngest son went missing while playing with his brother in 1951, CBS News reported. Luis Armando Albino was just six when the whole thing went down and for a good portion of his life did not know that a family in California was devastated by his absence. It took seven decades for Luis Armando Albino to reunite with his family, and all of that was possible because of a simple DNA analysis, his niece undertook "just for fun."

The Abduction

Luis Armando Albino was playing in a California park when a woman allegedly lured him with the promise of candies, The Guardian reported. The woman reportedly took the opportunity to abduct the Puerto Rican boy, flew him to the East Coast, and gave him to a family, who brought him up as their son. Meanwhile, his family and community organized a huge search effort to find the boy, but to no avail. The boy's brother, Roger Albino, was interrogated multiple times and repeated the same story every time, that a woman wearing a bandana took off with Luis Armando Albino.

DNA Analysis

63-year-old Alida Alequin, daughter of Luis Armando Albino's sister, took an online DNA test "just for fun" in 2020, and the results shocked her, CBS News reported. The online test showed that she and a man on the East Coast were a 22% match in terms of their DNA. Alequin tried to contact him but to no avail. Three years later, she and her daughters took up the search again. Alequin went to the Oakland Public Library and found some pictures of Luis and Roger Albino, which further confirmed her thoughts that the man on the East Coast must be looked into by the police. She went to Oakland Police with the information who decided to pursue a kidnapping investigation.

Luis Armando Albino is Found

The man who matched with Alequin was located by the authorities and provided a DNA sample, CBS News reported. Alequin's mother also gave her samples and an analysis was conducted. On June 20, the authorities announced the results to Alequin, the man was indeed her uncle. Luis Armando Albino's present identity has been kept a secret. It was revealed by Alequin to the media that he is a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, with a family of his own. Alequin further added, that her uncle had memories of kidnapping but could never put it all together because the adults in his life dismissed his thoughts. 

Reunion of the Brothers

In June, Luis Armando Albino came to California and reunited with his family, CBS News reported. The most emotional meeting was with Roger Albino, who had been waiting for seven decades to see the brother who slipped away right in front of his eyes. "They grabbed each other and had a really tight, long hug. They sat down and just talked," Alequin shared. The brothers reportedly talked about their lives including Luis Armando Albino's military service. Both of them linked back again in July, which turned out to be their last meeting. Roger Albino breathed his last in August. "I think he died happily," she said. "He was at peace with himself, knowing that his brother was found. I was just so happy I was able to do this for him and bring him closure and peace," Mercury News reported.