Houston Police have launched an investigation into the bizarre case of Rudy Farias, who reappeared over the weekend, eight years after vanishing from his family home, Your Content has learned.
To make matters worse—neighbors came forward, claiming they had regularly spotted him in the area during his absence.
The announcement of an investigation comes after Your Content exclusively reported agents from the FBI will probe the man’s ’reappearance.’
Police Chief Troy Finner assured the public that the Houston Police Department (HPD) is diligently looking into the matter.
Chief Finner told a local ABC station, “We understand why the public is asking questions; we get it. Just like anything, HPD will get to the bottom of it. The truth is going to come out, and I don’t want to get ahead of that.”
Rudy Farias, now 25 years old, was discovered outside a church on Jun. 29, bearing cuts and bruises. His mother had reported him missing at the age of 17 when he failed to return home after supposedly going for a walk with his dogs.
Upon being found, Farias was in such a severely beaten state that he was rendered “non-verbal,” according to his mother. He has since been receiving medical care in a hospital to aid in his recovery.
However, just days after the heartwarming story of his miraculous return made national headlines, residents living near Farias’ mother began casting doubt on the narrative. Kisha Ross, a neighbor who knew Farias as ‘Dolph,’ stated, “That boy has never been missing. He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter.”
Confusion spread among the locals when news reports claimed Farias had been found, as many of them had seen him regularly in the area. An anonymous neighbor expressed astonishment, saying, “I was just shocked someone over here was missing, and we see him.”
Janie Santana, Farias’ mother, is scheduled to meet with investigators from the Houston Police Department on Wednesday, as confirmed by local station KPRC.
Amidst the growing skepticism, someone claiming to be Farias’ aunt, Lupita Ortiz, defended the family against allegations of deception surrounding his disappearance. Ortiz, known online as Bella Ninos, called for evidence to counter any false information being spread about their family and threatened legal action for slander and defamation.
The authenticity of Ortiz’s relation to the Farias family could not be independently verified by Your Content. Furthermore, Ortiz disavowed a GoFundMe account in Janie’s name, warning people not to donate and expressing outrage at its creation.