Houston, Texas — A Texas man who went missing in 2015 as a teenager, last seen walking his dogs in Houston, has been found alive, his family and police said, but mystery now surrounds his reappearance. Causing more questions than answers.
News of Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Farias IV’s reappearance was tweeted on July 2. Texas Center for the Missing, The 25-year-old man is recovering in hospital.
In an update on Monday, Houston police said the missing man was first reported seen by his family in 2018, years after he went missing.
On Sunday night, our affiliate station KTRK spoke by phone with Farias’ mother, who shared photos of her in a hospital bed and said that someone found her unresponsive outside a church in southeast Houston on Thursday. He then called 911.
The mother said she had cuts and bruises all over her body and blood in her hair and believes she was badly abused and beaten.
Farias’s mother said that her brother had died in a motorcycle accident in 2011. Farias had reportedly been wearing one of his necklaces since his brother’s death, and was still wearing it when he was found over the weekend.
She said that Farias, who hasn’t said much since he was found, continues to hold onto the necklace.
Farias was 17 when he was walking his two dogs near Tidwell and Park Drive on March 6, 2015. Her family reported her missing after her dogs were recovered, but Farias was not found.
In 2015, officials reported that Farias had been diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. Texas Equussearch began asking the public for help in locating him, noting that he was possibly disoriented and not taking his medication.
Authorities said they temporarily suspended the search for the then 17-year-old teen on March 10, 2015, while they worked to gather more information. Two days later, on 12 March, the hunt continued and ended the next day.
On 13 March 2015, officials thanked searchers for their commitment while searching for Farias in rain-soaked fields.
Two years after Farias went missing, his mother told KTRK that she was concerned for his safety and thought something was suspicious about her son’s disappearance.
According to police, officers received a call from Farias’ family in September 2018 after he was seen living behind a family home. When officers arrived at the scene, they could not find the missing person.
Nearly five years later, on Sunday, July 2, 2023, officials confirmed that Farias had been located and was safe.
Houston police confirmed that Farias was found Thursday at the church at 76th and Avenue. A caller told officers that someone was sleeping outside the front door of the church. HPD says Farias had an item identifying a family member, which allowed them to contact his family.
The Houston Fire Department also responded to that initial call. He told KTRK that the police and Farias’ mother were at the scene when they arrived. Authorities said Farias refused to be taken to a hospital, and was instead sent to the care of her mother.
Farias’ mother said on Sunday that they tried to talk to him, but he would only say a few words and go into the fetal position. He said it will be a long healing journey but he is grateful that his son has been found alive.
It is unclear whether investigators have had a chance to interview him.
The HPD said it is not actively involved in the investigation, although the Texas Center for the Missing is. KTRK contacted him for more details about the case.