Canadian Mom Reunited With Her Son Who Went Missing Decades Ago as a Toddler

A Canadian mom reunited with her long-lost son, who was reportedly abducted decades ago as a toddler. 

Jermaine Allan Mann was allegedly taken by his father when he was just 21 months old, and until last week, he and his father, 66-year-old Allan Mann, were reportedly living under false names in the U.S.

Allan has since been arrested, and Jermaine was reunited with his mom, Lyneth Mann-Lewis, after 31 years. 

“I have endured many hard days, some which are extremely difficult to describe,” Mann-Lewis said during a press conference Monday. “Today, with utmost happiness, I am here to share with you the end of a journey.”

Jermaine, 33, had reportedly been told that his mother died when he was a child. However, authorities say he was actually abducted on June 24, 1987, during a scheduled visit with his father in Toronto. 

On Friday, Allan was arrested in Connecticut. He reportedly had obtained counterfeit birth certificates for both of them, which allegedly claimed the pair was from Texas. 

Authorities say he was identified once the false documents were flagged when he submitted them for a federally subsidized housing unit rental. Authorities then identified Allan by using “facial recognition” software.

“Words couldn't express what I felt," Mann-Lewis said. "The words, 'Your son is alive, we found him' — that is breathtaking."

Allan will be extradited to Canada to face charges in the abduction. He also faces charges in the U.S. for making false statements. 

"I am the proof that after 31 long years of suffering one should never give up but be patient, be strong and believe that all things are possible and that anything can transpire," Mann-Lewis said.

RELATED STORIES