What happened to Rudy Farias? Missing Texas high school student found 8 years after disappearance

Houston authorities announced on Sunday, July 2, 2023, that missing Texas high school student, Rudy Farias was found eight years after his disappearance. Rudy Farias went missing on March 6, 2015, at the age of 17 when he had taken his two dogs for a walk. Within the next 24 hours, while Rudy's dogs returned, he was nowhere to be found.

Rudy's mother had filed a missing persons report for her then-teenaged son. However, Authorities are yet to disclose how Farias became lost eight years ago.

The Houston Police Department did note that they don't believe any foul play is involved in the incident. Authorities didn't state where Farias had been for the last eight years but he was found outside a church by a local who called 911. The now-25-year-old is currently at the hospital for unspecified reasons. He was also found with numerous scrapes and bruises across his body.

---

The timeline of the search for Rudy Farias

As mentioned earlier, Rudy Farias was last seen leaving his home on March 6, 2015, with his two dogs at around 6 pm. That night, one of the dogs returned alone and the second dog was approaching the house the next day. However, the Farias family found no trace of the then-high school student. KSAT noted that both dogs were missing their leashes.

Farias was reported missing by his mother, following that, Texas Equusearch updated the public about the search for the teen. They said that the search for Rudy Farias continued the day after he was reported missing and searchers had to deal with rain, rain-soaked fields, and roads."

"Two trucks even had to be pulled out by a backhoe. So thank you to all the searchers for the commitment you've shown during this case," the statement read.

Tim Miller, the director of Texas Equusearch, discussed the early stages of the search effort with Click2Houston reporters.

Miller told the reporters that the team initially met Rudy's family and detectives and had found a backpack. He added that they also spoke to someone with a catering truck who had seen the then-teen. Miller noted that there had been a few "different possible sightings in different places."

However, Rudy was nowhere to be found until recently when he was found in front of a church. Miller said that the now 25-year-old was found after a "good Samaritan" called 911 upon spotting him.

“How did this happen? We believe in miracles and this certainly was a miracle. I can’t even tell you how many times we searched and how many leads and tips came in and they just kind of faded away and now all of a sudden, this,” Miller said.

While authorities remain unaware of the details of Farias' disappearance, they believe that he may have suffered from mental health issues. He had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a teenager. NBC News reported that he suffered from depression, particularly after losing his elder brother in a motorcycle accident.

Authorities are currently still investigating the circumstances around the teen's disappearance. As he is currently recovering from minor injuries, he has not yet been able to explain why he left home. The Texas Center of Missing Persons has declared the case closed.

According to ABC 13, Farias' mother said that while they have tried talking to him, he only says a few words before going into "a fetal position." She was reported saying that Rudy Farias' journey to healing would be a very long one but she was grateful that her son was found alive.