‘It’s Obvious He’s Been Through Hell’: Teen Who Went Missing In 2015 Is Found Alive, Almost Unrecognizable

Rudy Farias, seventeen at the time, went missing when walking the dogs in 2015. He was last seen near his family home in Houston, Texas. Rudy was reunited with his family earlier this week after a good Samaritan found him beaten up and dumped by a church.

The young man was hospitalized, where his identity was quickly discovered and his family notified. They spread the news and some photos on Facebook and shared that Rudy believed his name was now Julio Torres, although he is very nonverbal at the time of writing. They believe the recovery process will be long, but are relieved to have their son back.
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Rudy Farias went missing on March 6th, 2015, when we went out to walk the dogs, which later returned home without their leashes, alone. A search was launched in the area, but ultimately he was not found. The family noted that he was suffering from a leg injury, however, Houston police did not initially suspect foul play. Rudy’s father took his own life in 2014 and later he witnessed the death of his older brother in a motorcycle accident. Understandably, Rudy was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and anxiety and was taking medication for it at the time of the disappearance.

This summer, a good Samaritan found a beaten and unresponsive young man at a church. After being hospitalized, it was determined that this was Rudolph “Rudy” Farias and at some point, the family was notified. His mother notes that it’s unclear where Rudy had been for eight years and that he was not very communicative yet. Houston police plan to speak with him today. The family says he remains traumatized and recoils from physical touch. He currently does not seem to know his real identity, believing his name to be Julio Torres and that he is only 14 years old. Doctors have recommended that the family don’t attempt to correct him yet.

While it is fortunate that Rudy was found alive and reunited with his family, there still are an estimated 800 '000 missing children in the United States. While the stereotypical kidnapping or abduction involves a stranger, statistics show that a large portion of these cases involve the immediate family. Fortunately, in most of the world, missing children in particular are found shortly after they are reported missing. The authorities note that sometimes searches are impeded by the long-standing myth that one has to wait 24 hours to report a missing person. In fact, the first 48 hours are often considered critical, so law enforcement agencies recommend that a report is made as soon as there is concern.