Can New Images Help Find Missing Siblings?

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is releasing new age progression images of two brothers who were allegedly abducted by their father from San Diego in 2019. These images of 10-year-old Binyu Chin and 13-year-old Huaiyu Chin were created by a NCMEC forensic artist to show what the boys might look like today, offering new hope in the search to bring them home.  

NCMEC spoke with the boys’ mother, stepfather and Deputy Saha with the U.S. Marshals Service about the ongoing efforts to find the brothers and bring them home.

Hongying Liu, the boys’ mother, first met their father, Foong Chin, in New York while he was attending Columbia University. In 2004, Chin, who majored in engineering, received a job offer in San Diego, prompting them to move to the West Coast. However, the couple began divorce proceedings in 2014 and had shared custody of their two boys.

Binyu and Huaiyu Chin, ages 4 and 7. (Photos courtesy of Hongying Liu)

According to the mother, Hongying, sharing custody was difficult. She says she often feared her ex-husband might abduct the children. “He would threaten me, saying one day I’d never see the two boys again,” said Hongying. “I didn’t think he would actually do anything, but then, it happened. He never returned them.”

“Visitation rights were every weekend from Friday afternoon until Monday morning,” said Raymond Buckalew, the boys’ stepfather. “He would drop off the eldest child at school and the youngest at the house.”

On Jan. 12, 2019, after a scheduled weekend visit, Huaiyu did not show up at school, and Binyu was not returned home. Alarmed, the boys’ mother, along with their stepfather, drove to their father’s apartment and found it emptied. They immediately contacted the police, launching a search for Chin and the boys that continues today.

Foong Chin, the boys' father, is wanted by U.S. Marshals; Huaiyu and Binyu Chin at 7 and 4. (Photos courtesy of Hongying Liu)

Law enforcement fears that the boys may not be receiving proper care and could be at risk of harm. “We do know that Foong Chin was not the best father and not the best husband,” said Deputy Saha with the U.S. Marshals Service. “During our interviews, we've discovered he was physically abusive to both his sons during visitations, as well as to his ex-wife. He was previously arrested for domestic violence. I think Mr. Chin thinks he might be able to hide, but the U.S. Marshals are involved now and we're never going to stop looking for him.”

Foong Lian Chin, 47, is wanted on charges of parental child abduction. Law enforcement says he has additional ties to Mexico where he once owned property. Deputy Saha says it appears that the boys’ father had previously taken the children to his home in Mexico during his custodial visits, without permission. Since immigrating from Singapore in the 1980s, he has lived in New York, Southern California and Baja California, Mexico.

Binyu age progressed to age 10, and Huaiyu age progressed to age 13. (Photos courtesy of NCMEC)

If you recognize Binyu or Huaiyu or have any information about their whereabouts, please call the U.S. Marshals at 1-858-565-5200 and NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678.

You can view Binyu and Huaiyu's missing posters here: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1348999/1.