https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/toddler-abducted-hotel-32-years-22050756?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Mirror12at29&utm_campaign=daily_newsletterToddler abducted from hotel 32 years ago finally reunited with his parents
Mao Yin's father took his eyes of his son for a second as he waited in a hotel lobby and got him some water and that's all his kidnappers needed
ByJane LavenderAssistant Editor
13:14, 19 MAY 2020
For 32 years Mao Yin's parents have never stopped looking for him after he was snatched from a hotel. His father has turned his back for a second to get his two-year-old son some water when he was abducted. The terrified toddler was then sold on the black market and was eventually adopted by a childless couple. It is not known if they knew where their "son" came from as police launch an investigation into the harrowing events that took place in 1988. But for Mao's parents, the nightmare seemed never-ending as they launched a country-wide search for their missing little boy. They distributed more than 100,000 fliers in their quest to find their son and tens of thousands of people helped. But for more than three decades, there was no trace of little Mao. It seemed all hope was lost and the youngster, who is now 34, would never be reunited with his birth mum and dad. Now, thanks to a twist of fate and cutting edge technology, the family has been reunited and has vowed to spend the rest of their time together. Li Jingzhi, Mao's mother, said: "I would like to thank the tens of thousands of people who helped us."
The family's emotional reunion was captured at a press conference in the Chinese city of Xian. Mao instantly recognised his mother and ran, weeping, into her arms. Holding her son's hand tightly in her own, Li said: "I don't want him to leave me anymore. I won't let him leave me anymore."
Mao, now 34, was born on February 23, 1986, and was a "very clever, cute and healthy baby", according to his mum. When he was two, his father had collected him from nursery and as they made their way home, Mao asked for a drink of water. His dad, Mao Zhenjing, stopped at the entrance to a hotel, and as he tried to cool some hot water for his son, and he took his eyes off him for a second. It was all the time his abductors needed and Mao was snatched. During their long years of searching for their boy, there had been several false starts where his parents thought he had been found. But tragically, these always fell away to nothing. Li eventually gave up her job so she could devote all her time to looking for her son, regularly appearing on TV, including the Chinese equivalent of the X-Factor, and tirelessly handing out leaflets. In total, it's believed she followed up an incredible 300 leads in her bid to find her boy. Then, as hope dwindled for Li being reunited with her own son, she began volunteering with Baby Come Back Home in 2007. With her years of expertise searching for Mao, it's estimated Li has helped reunited 29 children with their families. Then, in April, came the breakthrough the family had been hoping for more than 30 years. Police received a tip-off that someone had bought a child in the late 1980s. That little boy was now living with his adoptive parents as Gu Ningning. He was said to be totally unaware his birth parents had been searching for him for the last 32 years. Officers used facial recognition technology and an old photo of Mao to recreate how he would look 32 years later. It was then compared to photos stored in the state database and a match was found and he was tracked down to the city of Mianyang, more than 600 miles away from where he had been abducted. Once a DNA test confirmed he was the missing Mao, he was reunited with his parents. Now working in his own home decoration business, Mao is determined to make up for lost time with the parents he has spent so long apart from.
