Marcus was abducted by his non-custodial father, Sergio Farina, from his Los Angeles, California home on December 6, 1991. He picked up Marcus up from the home of the baby's mother, his estranged wife, ostensibly to take the child to the pediatrician. When Sergio did not return with Marcus, the baby's mother went to Sergio's apartment. She found all the rooms empty and the message, "Ha! Ha! Ha! You'll never find us. Merry Christmas!" written on a note which was stuck to a mirror. Marcus and Sergio may be in South America, possibly Uruguay or Brazil, or they may be in Aquila, a city in the province of Abruzzo in west central Italy. The child's case is unsolved.