Hours before Rudy Farias was found outside a church after he allegedly vanishing years ago, a young, disheveled man was seen sitting in a restaurant across the street, unsettling the staff.
Rudy, now 25, was reported missing when he was 17, and his mother claims he was miraculously found last week, eight years after he left to walk his dogs around his Houston home and never returned.
But video unearthed by NBC-affiliate KPRC, as well as statements from neighbors saying Rudy was never missing – have sparked questions about the identity of the young man at the restaurant – and about any possible connection to Rudy.
The restaurant’s workers said the young man was incoherent, had no money, and left after someone bought him a mean, according to Journalist Mario Diaz.
The outlet obtained the footage after staff expressed ‘concerns’ about the customer, who they had never seen before.
Rudy Farias, was reported missing in 2015 and was supposedly found last week. But his neighbors say he was never missing at all
Staff from a restaurant near the church where Rudy was found expressed ‘concern’ about a, ‘incoherent’ man seen at the business hours before Rudy was found
Hours after the man was seen at the restaurant, Farias was found unresponsive on June 29 after a good Samaritan called police to report an unresponsive man slumped outside a church.
Cops said they managed to identify Rudy by the necklace he was wearing, which belonged to his late brother, and called his mother Janie Santana to tell her they had found her son after eight long years.
Santana claimed he had blood in his hair and had been clearly badly abused and beaten.
Making the case even stranger, Houston authorities have said a ‘family member’ had called police in 2018 to report that Farias had been staying behind their residence. It’s not clear what the call lead to and police have not released additional information.
Chief Troy Finner said the case remains ‘very, very active.’
As questions emerged about Rudy’s whereabouts over the last eight years, his mother deleted a GoFundMe account she had created for medical costs.
Kisha Ross, who lives on the same street as Rudy’s mother, said she had never heard that Rudy was missing, despite being friendly with his family.
‘He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter,’ a confused Ross told ABC 7, adding that Rudy liked to hang out in the woods by himself.
Broderick Conley, Ross’s cousin, also said he used to hang out with Rudy regularly – ‘laughing’ and having ‘good times.’
Santana shared details of Rudy’s condition after the alleged reunion.
‘Rudy is in pretty bad shape, he has cuts, soft tissue tumors, small openings and swelling on the soles of his feet, along with bruising, old and new cuts/scrapes on his body, old dry blood on his head and hair, he has very very dark complexion now almost unrecognizable.
Farias was found with blood found in his hair, showing obvious signs that he had been badly abused and beaten, according to his worried mother. His mother shared a picture that she says shows him recovering at the hospital
Farias was found with cuts and bruises all over his body on Saturday. His mother said they have tried to speak to him, but he only says a few words and adopts the fetal position
A missing person note detailed what he was wearing at the time that he went missing. It also mentioned that he suffered from depression, PTSD and anxiety
‘It broke our hearts to see him in this condition.
‘God only knows what he has endured during his time away from home.’
The note also mentions that he is in a lot of pain.
It continues: ‘He flinches if you try to touch him or hug him thinking we are going to strike him.
‘He thinks his name is Julio Torres and he is 14 now.’
Farias’s mother said they have tried to speak to him, but he only says a few words and adopts the fetal position.
She said it will be a long healing journey but she is pleased that he has been found alive.
A flyer from the time of his disappearance revealed that Rudy had been diagnosed with depression, PTSD and anxiety. The flyer said he had also attempted to commit suicide.
His mother said it was possible he was disoriented at the time of his disappearance because he was not taking his medication. She added that he was very wary of strangers.
Rudy’s whereabouts over the last eight years remain unknown.
He is scheduled to speak to investigators on Wednesday. Previous attempts by police to speak to Rudy have been postponed.
