A man who went missing as a 17-year-old more than eight years ago was found over the weekend and is believed to have been badly abused and beaten.

Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV was recovering in a hospital Monday following his years-long disappearance. He was last seen March 6, 2015, according to a missing persons flyer.

Someone called 911 on Sunday after finding him unresponsive outside a church, with cuts and bruises, Farias’ mother told KTRK Channel 13. She believes he was badly abused and beaten, KTRK reported.

“After 8 long years, Rudy has been located safe,” The Texas Center for the Missing said Sunday in a post on Twitter. “Please continue to keep his family in your prayers as Rudy recovers in the hospital.”

Farias, now 25, was walking his two dogs in northwest Houston when he vanished, KHOU TV Channel 11 reported. It is unclear where he has been.

His mother told KTRK he will only speak a few words at a time before going into a fetal position.

Houston police didn’t suspect foul play when Farias went missing, but friends and family were concerned nonetheless, particularly as time wore on.

“This family has been through so much,” Brenda Paradise, a private investigator hired by the family, said in 2015. “Whatever happened, a mom needs answers about her son.”

The family was convinced he didn’t just leave on his own.

“He has such a huge heart. He loves with all his heart,” Farias’ mother told KHOU one year after his disappearance. “That’s why we know he wouldn’t just get up and go on his own.”

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, nearly 360,000 reports of missing children were made to the FBI in 2022 – a figure that may include duplicates, CNN reported.