CNN
,
A Houston man who went missing more than eight years ago as a teenager was found sleeping in front of a local church, according to police.
According to a missing persons flyer published by the Texas Center for the Missing, Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV had been missing since March 6, 2015.
On June 29, the Houston Police Department received a call for service, responded to a church in East Houston, and later confirmed that the individual was Farias, a spokesperson for the department said.
It is unclear where Farias has been over the years, and officials have not provided further details about his previous whereabouts or what led to the call that reunited him with his family.
“She is receiving the care she needs to recover from her trauma,” her mother, Jenny Santana, said in a statement to the family.
According to the statement, Farias is unable to speak and communicate with his family.
The family’s statement said he was found by a Good Samaritan who called 911, adding that they had no other information on his case.
Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña told CNN that the Houston Fire Department responded to the scene at the request of police. When they arrived, Farias’ mother was also there, Peña said.
According to Peña, crews evaluated Farias but he declined to be taken to the hospital. Farias’s mother signed a form refusing to transport her son, he said. At that point, Farias was released to family and police, Peña said.
Police said when she was initially found, Farias was carrying an object that identified a family member. According to the police, a family member was called and his mother reached the spot.
The Texas Center for the Missing would not comment on the circumstances in which Farias was found, only telling CNN that its focus is on the missing person and their family.
“Our mission is to continue to support families whose loved ones are missing,” Melissa Rangel told CNN on Monday. “Rudy Farias has been missing for eight years and has now been found safe. At Texas Center for the Missing we continue to support our families through reunification and want to continue supporting families through healing and hope when their loved ones are missing.
Farias, then 17, was walking his two dogs in northwest Houston when he disappeared. CNN affiliate KHOU informed of.
The whereabouts of Farias have been unclear for the past eight years. According to the police, in September 2018, police received information from the family that Farias was seen sleeping behind a family member’s residence.
According to National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenAbout 360,000 reports of missing children were submitted to the FBI in 2022 – a figure that may include duplicates.
The spokesman said the police department’s Missing Persons Unit is interested in interviewing Farias and his family, but as of Monday morning is unable to conduct the interview.
Police said investigators have scheduled an interview with Farias for Wednesday. This matter is under investigation.