In the United States alone, more than 2,000 kids are reported missing on average every day.
The majority are found within hours. Others become cold cases, whose age progressions are shared from time to time by the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and whose families hold out hope.
One family’s wishes were granted an unbelievable 73 years after their loved one went missing.
The Abduction Took Place In 1951
Antonia Albino brought her five children from Puerto Rico to Oakland, California, in the summer of 1950. Less than a year later, two of her sons were playing in a park when the younger, 6-year-old Luis Armando Albino, was approached by a strange woman.
Luis had reportedly not learned to speak English yet, and the woman talked to him in Spanish, offering him candy, then took him away to the East Coast, where she raised him as her own. So far, Luis has not spoken publicly about his upbringing, but the woman who raised him has reportedly died since.
Albino’s Mother Never Lost Hope
Antonia Albino passed away in 2005, but her family says she never lost hope that her son would be found. Though she didn’t live to be reunited with him, thanks to DNA technology and genealogy websites, her granddaughter — Luis’s niece — played the crucial role in finding the missing man and bringing him home (at least for a visit).
Luis and his brother Roger were reunited in June and had some time to start reconnecting before Roger’s death in August, according to the report from KTVU.
Official sources aren’t releasing too much about the situation at this point but reportedly have closed the missing person case while keeping the abduction investigation open.
Parents Of Thousands More Missing Children Hope For Similar Outcomes
A common trope is that hope is lost if a missing child isn’t found within the first 48 hours.
While the early hours and days are certainly vital in an investigation, Luis Albino is proof that no amount of time is too long to keep searching, especially in the age of DNA testing and information access.
The FBI has a page on its website showing the faces of dozens of missing children whose families would love to see them home.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) also has a page listing many ways to help, including looking at posters of missing children. Be warned that some ways people can help may be more disturbing and uncomfortable, such as looking at images created based on unidentified remains. You can also sign up for messages from the ADAM program to be alerted when missing children are in your area.
What Parents Should Know About A Missing Child
Another common (false) trope is that an investigation cannot begin until someone has been missing for 24 hours.
If your child is missing, please get in touch with law enforcement immediately. Please don’t wait in hopes that he will turn up or because you fear law enforcement will put you off or judge you.
Tell a staff member immediately if your child goes missing while in a store. Many stores immediately lock down the building in these situations in hopes of preventing a would-be abductor from leaving the premises with the child.
When you call the police, be prepared to share your name, date of birth, height, and weight, and any identifying features. If possible, be prepared to describe what your child was wearing when you last saw him. The NCMEC also advises:
“Request law enforcement authorities immediately enter your child’s name and identifying information into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center Missing Person File.”
Where To Look And Who To Call
If your child has gone missing in your home, search all places where a child could hide: closets, large appliances, crawl spaces, and even laundry piles. Child Find of America advises checking sheds, wells, vehicles, and under decks and porches outside.
Contact neighbors and friends’ parents, and if possible, post your child’s photo in neighborhood groups on social media or apps like NextDoor. You can also contact Child Find of America at 1-800-I-AM-LOST. (So can your child, and it’s easy to remember, so it may be a good number to share with them.)
May every family find closure and every child be brought home, even if it has been 70+ years.
