Questions are swirling around the case of a Texas teenager who was found alive over the weekend after being missing for eight years — including if the now 25-year-old man was ever truly gone.
While Rudolph “Rudy” Farias’ mother says she reported her 17-year-old son missing in March 2015 after he vanished while on a walk with his dogs, neighbors who spoke withABC 13disputed that claim, saying he has been spotted in the neighborhood in the past few years.
“He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter,” neighbor Kisha Ross claimed. “That boy has never been missing.” Citing civil court records, ABC 13 reports Farias’ mom, Janie Santana, lives on the same street as Ross in northeast Houston.
Texas Center for the Missing
Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed to ABC13 that he has seen Farias living at his mom’s home for years.
“I was just shocked someone over here was missing, and we see him,” he claimed. “It’s shocking to everyone.”
Farias was transported to the hospital Saturday after being found unresponsive outside of a church with cuts and bruises across his body, Farias' mom toldABC13. She also believes he has been abused.
On Sunday, TheTexas Center for the Missingconfirmed Farias — who the organization says disappeared on March 6, 2015 — had been found alive.
“We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal."
At the time he went missing, he was suffering from depression after losing his brother in a motorcycle accident,NBC Newsreports, citing family members.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
On Tuesday, Santana claimed the man her neighbors have spent time with and seen living with her is actually her nephew, according to NBC.
The mom also showed a picture to the outlet of the person she said was her nephew, but neighbors say that’s not the same person they spent time with. Houston police also revealed this week that Farias' family contacted authorities in 2018 to report that he was staying behind a relative’s home, but he was never found after police searched the property,USATodayreports.
A spokesperson with the Houston Department declined to comment to PEOPLE on the case, citing the active investigation.
Houston police said in aTweetthat investigators are scheduled to speak with Farias and his family on Wednesday “to determine his whereabouts since he was reported missing in 2015.” Further updates are expected to be released on the department’s social media pages.
source: people.com
