A good Samaritan found a Texas man who had been missing for eight years a few miles from his home, but he was unresponsive and remains non-verbal, his family said Monday.
Rudy Farias, 25, was discovered Thursday at a church about 8 miles from where he lived in Houston when he disappeared as a teenager, said Tim Miller, an investigator with Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit search and rescue service of lucre, who helped look for Farias.
Her family confirmed the news of her discovery and added some details about her condition in a statement released Monday through the Texas Center for the Missing, a nonprofit agency.
Rudy Farias.Texas Center for the Missing
“What we do know is that at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called the police and 911,” the family said. “My son Rudy is getting the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time he is non-verbal and unable to communicate with us.”
The center said he was in a hospital and did not provide further details.
“We are grateful that Rudy has been found and is getting the care he needs,” Melissa Rangel, a case manager at the center, said by email. “The family asks for privacy.”
Farias was 18 when she disappeared on March 6, 2015, while walking her two dogs, authorities said. One dog came home off leash that night, and the other dog came home off leash the next day, they said.
He was suffering from depression, a private investigator hired by the Farias family, Brenda Paradise, said in April 2015.
“He watched his best friend die right in front of him,” he said. “His brother was his best friend in the world. He’s been through a lot more than anyone his age should.”
Houston police said they do not suspect foul play.
Farias’ family said in a statement that they would share “more details as Rudy continues to heal.”
Rangel, of the Texas Center for the Missing, said such a rare discovery is an event for the families of the missing, even if the story is not over.
“When a loved one goes missing, that’s the day every family hopes for and dreams of: reunification,” he said.
