A good Samaritan found a Texas man who had been missing for eight years just miles from his home, but he was unresponsive and remains nonverbal, 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, an investigator with Texas EquuSearch who helped search for Farias.
His family released a statement Monday through the Texas Center for the Missing confirming the weekend’s news of his discovery and adding some detail about his condition.
“What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911,” the family said. “My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us.”
The center said he was at a hospital but did not provide additional details.
“We are thankful that Rudy has been found and receiving the care he needs,” the center’s Melissa Rangel said by email. “The family is asking for privacy.”
Farias was 18 when he went missing March 6, 2015, while walking his two dogs, authorities said. One dog returned home without its leash that evening, and the other returned without its 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.
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“He watched his best friend die right in front of him,” she said. “His brother was his best friend in the world. He’s just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.”
Houston police said they didn’t suspect foul play.
Farias’ family said in its statement that it 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 ache for, even if the story is not finished.
“When a loved one goes missing this is the day all families hope for and dream of — reunification,” she said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
