Foong Chin
Real Name: Foong Lian Chin
Aliases: None Known
Wanted for: Kidnapping
Missing Since: January 12, 2019
Case[]
Details: Forty-five-year-old Foong Chin is wanted for abducting his sons, Samuel and William Chin, from their mother, Hongying Buckalew. On Saturday, January 12, 2019, Hongying dropped off seven-year-old Samuel and four-year-old William at Foong's home for a weekend visitation. He told her he would return them at 3pm the next day. Her husband, Raymond Buckalew, says 3pm came and went, but Foong did not drop them off. As time passed, Hongying and Raymond started to freak out. They texted, called, and emailed Foong and left him messages. But he did not respond.
Hongying started crying and told Raymond that something was wrong. At 8pm, they called the police and asked them to check on Foong, Samuel, and William. The police went to Foong's residence and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Raymond says their hearts were "filled with dread" because they knew that Foong had taken Samuel and William.
Hongying, who had already suffered through a long and contentious divorce with Foong, feared the worst. Samuel and William are her entire world. Samuel was the couple's pride and joy. William was the cherished baby of the family. She says they are lovely boys. Samuel is sweet; he always thinks about William and Hongying. William is strong; he is always fighting for something. He is funny and acts like Raymond.
Raymond bonded with Samuel and William from the first time he met them. He says he loves them and feels like they are his boys. When they first met, William immediately went over to Raymond, said "Hi!" and offered him one of his crackers. He thought William was adorable. He says Samuel was interested in him and asked if he played video games. During their first meeting, he sat down and played with them.
Hongying says Raymond is a great husband who has helped her over the past few years. Throughout her difficult divorce and custody battle with Foong, she relied on Raymond to help navigate the confusing legal system. She says she had a difficult time in court, but he was always there for her. She brought him to her lawyer's office. They told her they would look into her case and get back to her. But Raymond stepped in and said that they needed it done now because it was taking too long.
When Hongying and Raymond decided to become a couple, he decided he would make himself known to Foong because he wanted Foong to know who he was dealing with. Raymond walked up to Foong, introduced himself, and shook his hand. He told Foong that he wanted things to go smoothly for the sake of Samuel and William and that he wanted them to have both of their parents in their lives.
Hongying and Foong met in Singapore in 2000. He appeared to be a polite, well-educated man. He brought her flowers and was courteous to her family. After a brief courtship, they married and moved to the United States. But once they settled into their New Jersey home, she started to see a darker side of him. He quickly established a controlling and manipulative relationship with her. He limited her contact with family and friends and forced her to adhere to an extremely frugal lifestyle, even though he made good money from property investments.
Raymond says that Foong is very cheap. When Foong and Hongying lived together, they had no furniture or TV. They used cardboard boxes as tables. He did not let her have any money. She had to use a credit card instead. Raymond says Foong kept her isolated. He would keep her busy in their house. They had seventeen cats that she had to take care of. He also refused to teach her English.
Raymond describes Foong as conniving and two-faced. He always looks for an angle to manipulate a situation to his advantage. Raymond describes him as "scum of the earth".
Hongying was committed to making her challenging marriage with Foong work. She was also eager to start the family she had always wanted. In 2004, the couple moved to San Diego, California. She hoped that having children would soften Foong's controlling and stingy ways. But the problems did not end.
Raymond says that after Hongying gave birth to Samuel and William (in 2011 and 2014, respectively), Foong would still get angry with her about money. One time, she went to the store and bought a pair of flip-flops for a dollar. When he found out, he was upset that she had spent money. The straw that broke the camel's back occurred one day when she bought food for Samuel and William. Foong was so mad at her that he turned off her credit cards.
Without access to any money, Hongying decided to leave Foong. She moved out and took Samuel and William with her. She worked three jobs to pay for rent, food, and lawyer fees. Her mother moved in to help take care of Samuel and William. Then, one day, at her job as a massage therapist, Hongying met Raymond. They immediately fell in love.
When her divorce from Foong was finalized, Hongying and Raymond married and looked forward to their life together. But the fight over custody and visitation rights for Samuel and William escalated between her and Foong. Raymond says they struggled for many days in court to get weekend visitation. Foong had Samuel and William every weekend, so Hongying and Raymond could not plan any trips. They only got Samuel and William on the weekends when Foong was busy and did not want them.
Over time, Hongying and Raymond began to notice changes in Samuel and William following their visits with Foong. William normally came home in the morning, while Samuel came home after school. When William came home, he was disheveled. The clothes he wore were the same ones he had on when he left and were not clean. He was extremely hungry because Foong only gave him cereal without milk.
Sometimes, Samuel and William came home with bruises, cuts, and scratches. Samuel told Hongying and Raymond that Foong would hit him in the stomach if he "messed up". He would specifically hit him there because it would not leave any bruises. Hongying and Raymond took Samuel and William to Child Protective Services (CPS) and showed them the injuries.
Suspecting possible abuse, Hongying and Raymond pressed the courts to restrict Foong's visitation rights. They asked CPS to investigate whether Foong was neglecting the children's basic needs. According to Raymond, when CPS visited Foong's apartment, he had the whole place set up for them to come and take pictures. He had toys, a TV, and all the other amenities that a home would normally have.
When Hongying and Raymond showed Samuel pictures of Foong's apartment, he told them that Foong did not have any of that stuff when he and William were there. During this time, Foong frequently traveled across the border to Tijuana, Mexico, where he owned an apartment and several businesses.
The courts made it clear that Foong was not allowed to take Samuel and William across the border during his visitation days. However, Hongying and Raymond soon learned that Foong was doing just that. They hired a private investigator to follow him to his address in Tijuana. They then forced him to tell the court that he was taking Samuel and William to Tijuana. The court gave him a "slap on the wrist", reducing his visitation to every other weekend with supervision for a month.
Without full custody, Hongying could not prevent Samuel and William from spending weekends alone with Foong. She worried that he would steal them. One incident four months before their disappearance was especially alarming. It was picture day, and Hongying was volunteering at their school. When Samuel's class showed up, he was not with them. She asked his teacher where he was. The teacher told her that Foong had picked him up. However, he did not have permission to do that.
Hongying and Raymond called and texted Foong, trying to figure out what was happening. They were scared because they thought Foong had abducted Samuel. Finally, Foong showed up at Hongying and Raymond's front door. Raymond asked him what happened. He said that they went to the doctor because Samuel had the flu. Raymond did not believe him and asked to see the doctor's note, prescriptions, or paperwork. He refused to show Raymond anything.
Once he was safely back home, Samuel revealed to Hongying and Raymond that Foong had taken him to get his passport picture. They immediately told the courts and their lawyer. However, nothing was done. Raymond says the most frustrating thing is that they had told the judge for over two years that Foong was going to abduct Samuel and William.
Sunday, January 13, 2019, is etched into Hongying's memory. It is the day she discovered that Samuel and William were missing – snatched by Foong during his weekend visitation. When they did not show up at the agreed-upon time, Hongying immediately sprung into action and headed to Foong's apartment.
When Hongying knocked on the apartment door, no one answered. She asked the neighbors about Foong, Samuel, and William. They said they had seen the family on Friday but not on Saturday. At that point, Hongying knew that Foong had abducted Samuel and William. She says that he hated her during the divorce. He knew that Samuel and William were everything to her. She believes he took them so that he could hurt her.
Hongying and Raymond went to the police, who issued a felony arrest warrant for Foong on February 6. They also searched his apartment, which was practically empty. The only things left were a bag and a box. The bag had the clothes that Samuel and William were wearing when Hongying and Raymond dropped them off. The box contained belongings that Foong felt could be used to identify them.
Over the next week, Hongying and Raymond contacted everyone who knew Foong. They contacted his friends in both San Diego and Tijuana. Raymond discovered that Foong had sold all of his assets. Years earlier, Foong had threatened Hongying, saying that if she ever left him, he could take Samuel and William, and she would never see them again.
With Foong suspected of parental abduction, the court granted Hongying full custody of Samuel and William. However, that was not much comfort for her since she had no idea where they were. Knowing that Foong owned several small businesses in Tijuana, she and Raymond feared that he had taken Samuel and William across the border, beyond the reach of American authorities.
Investigators soon learned that Foong had indeed taken Samuel and William to Mexico. They were last known to be in Tijuana. The U.S. government assured Hongying they were doing everything possible to find Samuel and William. But months passed with no answers.
Seven months after the abduction, Hongying and Raymond brought in private investigator Bill Garcia to assist in the search. They had a lot of trust in the agencies involved in the investigation. But as time passed, they noticed they were getting fewer calls from these agencies. As a result, they asked Garcia for help.
Garcia started his investigation by retracing Foong's steps before the abduction. He put together the pieces of Foong's meticulous plan to abduct Samuel and William. He discovered that Foong stole a large sum of money from his former employer in Tijuana, which he may have used to hide out in Mexico. He also sold property that he had owned there.
Garcia does not know how long Foong had been working on his plan. But he is certain that Foong had worked on it for some time because he probably would have been found otherwise. Garcia says that Foong is a "creature of habit" who likes to get free stuff, such as food, Internet, and lodging. But if he had a large amount of money with him, he could have done pretty much anything.
Garcia realized that he needed to go to Mexico to track Foong. He went to the Baja California Peninsula, along the country's west coast. He and his team contacted Foong's friends in the Tijuana area. They were evasive toward both Garcia and Mexican law enforcement. Garcia canvassed the Baja Peninsula, looking for areas where Foong may have gone.
Foong had lived, owned an apartment, had friends, and operated businesses in Tijuana. He also had businesses in China. After receiving some intelligence, Garcia learned that Foong, Samuel, and William were most likely staying in a touristy or campground setting in the Baja Peninsula until the "heat" cooled off. Garcia says there are many developed and undeveloped campgrounds between Tijuana and the end of the Baja Peninsula.
Garcia went to the campgrounds dressed as a tourist and befriended people at each location. He then followed up with them as he returned to California. However, he did not get any leads regarding people matching Foong, Samuel, or William's descriptions. He crisscrossed the Baja Peninsula in his search but came up empty.
Garcia was ready to move on when a strange encounter suggested he may be getting closer to Foong, Samuel, and William than he realized. After his fourth day of searching, he went to a hotel in Loreto, on the Sea of Cortez. Around midnight, the hotel receptionist knocked on his door and told him that a federal police officer was on the phone and wanted to talk to him.
The caller told Garcia he was an officer with the Mexican Naval Federal Police. He said they had raided an international drug smuggling ring and that some people had escaped. He accused Garcia of being involved in the ring and told him not to leave his room. He kept Garcia on the phone from 12:15 to 7:30am. At some point, he told Garcia that he was actually part of a cartel. He also told Garcia what he would do to him if he did not cooperate.
Caught in the crosshairs of a Mexican cartel, Garcia feared for his life. He knew that if Foong was involved with ruthless drug dealers, Samuel and William could also be in danger. According to Garcia, Foong imported and exported lumber and other items between Mexico, China, and Singapore. He says the cartel has its hands in those operations. He notes Foong has contacts in Mexicali, the state capital of Baja California, and a lot of cartel activity happens there.
After his cartel encounter, Garcia headed north, still on the lookout. But there was no sign of Foong, Samuel, or William. Garcia thought it was unusual that there were no sightings of them. After leaving Mexico, he met with Hongying and Raymond. He says it was depressing because he did not have anything good to tell them.
Hongying and Raymond had already braced themselves for bad news. They were saddened but knew it was probably a long shot. They knew that Foong had been planning the abduction for a while. Raymond says Foong has the means and money to disappear in Mexico.
Garcia remains on the case. But the U.S. Marshals Service has official jurisdiction and the resources to follow up on any new leads in the search for Foong, Samuel, and William. Raymond says they talk with the U.S. Marshals almost every week so that they will not forget the case. He says they are very dedicated to it. They have flagged Foong, Samuel, and William's passports. They have sent out flyers. They put a program on Telemundo.
Garcia says the U.S. Marshals have a high success rate with this type of case. He says they have the most resources of any agency in the country. Yet, they have been unable to find Foong, Samuel, and William. Garcia thinks they are either hiding well in Mexico or have gone to another country.
Garcia says Foong, Samuel, and William have not legally left Mexico because the authorities would have discovered that. However, he notes that if Foong has enough money, he could easily sneak himself, Samuel, and William onto a freighter, especially since he was involved in moving lumber and other products by ship to China and Singapore. Yet, according to Garcia, there is no indication that they are in either country. He thinks it is odd that no one has seen them.
For Hongying and Raymond, not a day goes by that they do not fear for Samuel and William's safety and pray for their return. Raymond says their house is quiet and somber. There are days when he and Hongying just sit in Samuel and William's room. He and Hongying are very stressed about Samuel and William's well-being because Foong has gotten angry with them, lost his control, and hit them.
Hongying just wants Samuel and William back. She hopes they are safe and healthy. If she could talk to them, she would say: "Samuel, I love you. You are my best boy in my life. William, I love you. You are my sweet boy in my life. I love you guys".
Foong is an Asian-American male of Chinese descent. He is 5'8" and weighs about 130 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He wears glasses and is fluent in Chinese, English, and Spanish. He was born on April 15, 1973. He may have fled to San Ysidro, California, New York, Mexico, China, or Singapore.
A $1,000 reward is being offered in this case.
Extra Notes:
- This case was first released on the May 12, 2021 episode of the Unsolved Mysteries Podcast.
- It was also released on November 1, 2022 as a part of the third volume of the Netflix reboot. It was released in the third part of a three-week Halloween event. It is featured at the end of "Abducted by a Parent" as a part of a Parental Abductor Roll Call alongside Charles Vosseler, Regina Martinez, Heather Unbehaun, Reuben Blackwell Sr., Francisco Flores and Susan Zaharias.
- It was also profiled on Missing.
Results: Wanted
Links:
- Foong Chin on Unsolved.com
- Foong Chin on San Diego Crimestoppers
- Search on for 2 boys allegedly abducted by father in San Diego - February 26, 2019
- Police Seek Help Finding Man Accused of Abducting His 2 Children, Fleeing to Mexico - October 19, 2020
- Police: Man wanted for abducting his kids, fleeing to Mexico - October 19, 2020