A Texas teenager who went missing eight years ago has been found alive.
Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV was 17 years old when he went missing in Houston in March 2015, according to the Texas Center for the Missing.
Farias, now 25, was found alive, the center announced Saturday on Twitter.
“After 8 long years, Rudy has been located safe,” the organization said. “Please continue to keep his family in your prayers as Rudy recovers in the hospital.”
Farias was transported to the hospital after being found unresponsive outside a church with cuts and bruises on his body and blood in his hair, Farias’ mom told ABC13 in Houston. She told the news station she believed he has been beaten and abused.
In March 2015, Farias was walking his dogs when he disappeared, according to news reports. His family reported him missing after the dogs were found, but he was not.
At the time, authorities said Farias suffered from depression and post traumatic stress disorder and that he was possibly disoriented after not taking his medication, ABC13 reported.
Years earlier, Farias’ older brother died in a motorcycle accident, NBC News reported.
“He watched his best friend die right in front of him,” Brenda Paradise, a private investigator hired by the Farias family, said in April 2015. “His brother was his best friend in the world. He’s just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.”
On Sunday, Farias’ mother told ABC13 that family members have tried talking to him, but he will only say a few words. She said this will be a long, healing journey, and she is thankful her son was found.
