Antonio Salazar-Hobson is an author whose Antonio, We Know You: A Memoir recounts his story surviving a kidnapping that took place when he was a young boy. In an article posted in Newsweek, Antonio goes into detail about the ordeal he went through and reveals his personal truth. He notes how the alleged kidnappers, “Groomed my family and cultivated their trust.”
Antonio’s Life Before and After
The life of Antonio Salazar-Hobson wasn’t always defined by the ordeal he went through. “My early memories are filled with my mother Petra’s love and affection,” he says. “I credit the early love from her and my siblings as a source of strength that allowed me to survive my ordeal.”
For 24 years Antonio had no contact with his real family. The kidnappers pretended to be Antonio’s adopted family and they even enrolled him in school.
The Effects on a Child and Family
Years would go by, and while attending law school, Antonio recounts, “I hired a private investigator to locate my family. They were successful, and in June 1983, two days after my graduation, we set up a meeting.”
Antonio wasn’t the only one who suffered from his ordeal. Shortly after he went missing, his parents split up. His mom and dad each took custody of half the kids. It wasn’t until Antonio found them many years later that they all were reunited.
Antonio’s Situation Happens to Others
Unfortunately, situations similar to Antonio’s aren’t uncommon. “I feel they [the police] made no effort to find me because I was a dark-skinned child from a poor Mexican family,” said Antonio Salazar-Hobson in his article in Newsweek. The people who he alleges kidnapped him “Were never located or even interviewed, living their lives with impunity.”
Coming forward and revealing his experience to the world means progress is being made. To discover more about Antonio’s story, find his book Antonio, We Know You: A Memoir on Amazon.
