Boy abducted at age six found alive 73 years later - but there's heartbreaking news

Luis Armando Albino was abducted from a park in Oakland, California, in 1951 while playing with brother Roger, before being tracked down 73 years later by his niece

A six-year-old boy abducted as a child more than 70 years ago has been found alive.

Luis Armando Albino vanished on February 21, 1951, after he was abducted by a woman in a park in West Oakland, California. The then-youngster had been playing with his older brother, Roger, at the time and was lured away by a woman promising to buy him sweets.

The case sadly went cold for decades, with a dedicated niece later searching desperately to find answers for her family. Luis' devastated mother never gave up hope, but tragically passed away without answers in 2005 at the age of 92.

The incredible news that Luis - now 79 - had been located emerged this weekend after it transpired that, after being lured away, he was flown cross-country before being raised by a couple in New York City. Now aged 79, Luis was re-united with Roger, 82, in June before the older brother sadly passed away last month following a cancer diagnosis.

Luis was tracked down by niece Alida Alequin, 63, who used DNA techniques and newspaper archives in her persistent search for answers to the family tragedy. Her efforts paid off after tracking Luis down earlier this year alongside Oakland Police Department, FBI and the Department for Justice.

After reuiniting the brothers, Alida told Mercury News how her uncle "hugged me and said, 'thank you for finding me'". Now a grandfather himself, Luis, it transpired, had gone onto live a fruitful life, working as a firefighter and serving in the Marine Corps in Vietnam.

"They grabbed each other and had a really tight, long hug. They sat down and just talked," Alida said. Speaking of Roger's death, she said he "died happily" and was "at peace with himself, knowing that his brother was found".

While Luis has yet to give any media interviews, it's understood questions remain to be answered as to why he was abducted. The people he believed were his parents have since died, it's been reported, while the adults surrounding him in New York have refused to answer any questions.

Speaking of her grandmother and Luis' mother, Alida added: "She always felt he was alive. She took that with her to her grave."