Man Found Alive After He Went ‘Missing’ Eight Years Ago May Never Have Been Missing, Neighbors Say

In 2015, then-17-year-old Rudolph “Rudy” Farias was reported missing by his mother after he took his dogs for a walk and never returned. On June 29, 2023, Farias was found sleeping in front of a church and returned to his family.

But neighbors of the Houston man say they never knew Farias was missing, and insisted that he had been living with his mother the entire time and hanging out around the neighborhood.

“He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter,” neighbor Kisha Ross told ABC 13. “That boy has never been missing.”

Ross’ cousin, Broderick Conley, told the outlet that he and Farias would regularly hang out, “laughing” and having “good times.”

Ross also told the outlet that sometimes Farias “would go to the park by himself.”

They also said they knew Farias as Dolph and not Rudy. They noted that they had not seen him in the past few weeks.

Another neighbor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told ABC that Farias had been living at his mother’s home for years.

“I was just shocked someone over here was missing, and we see him,” the neighbor said. “It’s shocking to everyone.”

ABC 13 reporter Brooke Taylor spoke to Farias’ mother, Janie Santana, on Tuesday. Santana refused to go on camera but told the reporter that her neighbors had mistaken her son for her nephew, and provided a picture. The neighbors, however, said the photo did not match the man who had been spending time with him and are wondering why Santana has claimed Farias was missing.

“I do not know. That’s what I have been trying to figure out all day,” Ross told the outlet. “I am confused right now. I am like, ‘What’s going on?'”

Investigators have not spoken to Farias yet, but are expected to do so on Wednesday.

Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller, who helped look for Farias, told KHOU 11 there were “a lot more questions than answers” in Farias’ disappearance, referring to initial claims that no one knew where he was for the past eight years.

Farias was found sleeping outside a church on June 29. A good Samaritan contacted authorities, who were able to connect Farias with his family because he had something on him that identified a family member, KHOU reported.

Santana, Farias’ mother, released a statement Monday regarding her son:

We want to thank the media and public for all their support. My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29th, after being missing for 8 years. Currently, we do not have any additional information on Rudy’s case. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. 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. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal.

Another twist in the case came when it was discovered that in 2018 — three years after Farias allegedly went missing — family members called police to say that Farias was living behind a relative’s home. When police searched the area, they didn’t find Farias.

Farias was found just 25 minutes from where he allegedly disappeared.

Correction: An earlier version of this article named Farias’ mother as Janie Santa. Her name is Janie Santana.