A Good Samaritan found a Texas man who had been missing for eight years just miles from his home but was unresponsive and unspeakable, his family said Monday.
Rudy Farias, now 25, was discovered June 29 at a church about 8 miles from where he lived in Houston when he went missing as a teenager, said Tim Miller, a Texas EquuSearch researcher who helped search for Farias.
His family released a statement Monday through the Texas Center for the Missing confirming the weekend’s news about his discovery and adding some details about his condition.
“What we do know is that at the time of his recovery, a Good Samaritan located him unconscious and immediately called the police and 911,” the family said. “My son Rudy is getting the care he needs to get over his trauma, but right now he’s not talking and he can’t communicate with us.”
The center said he was in a hospital, but did not provide additional details.
“We are grateful that Rudy has been found and is receiving the care he needs,” Melissa Rangel, of the center, said by email. “The family is asking for privacy.”
Farias was 18 when she disappeared on March 6, 2015, while walking her two dogs, authorities said. One dog returned home off-leash that night and the other returned off-leash the next day, they said.
The teen was experiencing depression at the time of his disappearance, a private investigator hired by the Farias family, Brenda Paradise, said in April 2015.
“He saw his best friend die in front of him,” he said. “His brother was his best friend in the world. He’s just been through way more than anyone his age should.”
Houston police said they did not suspect foul play.
Farias’ family said in their 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 that families of the missing look forward to, even if the story isn’t finished.
“When a loved one goes missing, this is the day every family hopes and dreams of: reunification,” she said.
