In 2015, then-17-year-old Rudolph “Rudy” Farias was reported missing by his mother after he took his dogs for a walk and never returned. On June 29, 2023, Farias was found sleeping in front of a church and returned to his family.

But neighbors of the Houston man say they never knew Farias was missing, and insisted that he had been living with his mother the entire time and hanging out around the neighborhood.

“He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter,” neighbor Kisha Ross told ABC 13. “That boy has never been missing.”

Ross’ cousin, Broderick Conley, told the outlet that he and Farias would regularly hang out, “laughing” and having “good times.”

Ross also told the outlet that sometimes Farias “would go to the park by himself.”

They also said they knew Farias as Dolph and not Rudy. They noted that they had not seen him in the past few weeks.

Another neighbor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told ABC that Farias had been living at his mother’s home for years.

“I was just shocked someone over here was missing, and we see him,” the neighbor said. “It’s shocking to everyone.”

ABC 13 reporter Brooke Taylor spoke to Farias’ mother, Janie Santa, on Tuesday. Santa refused to go on camera but told the reporter that her neighbors had mistaken her son for her nephew, and provided a picture. The neighbors, however, said the photo did not match the man who had been spending time with him and are wondering why Santa has claimed Farias was missing.

“I do not know. That’s what I have been trying to figure out all day,” Ross told the outlet. “I am confused right now. I am like, ‘What’s going on?'”

Investigators have not spoken to Farias yet, but are expected to do so on Wednesday.

Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller, who helped look for Farias, told KHOU 11 there were “a lot more questions than answers” in Farias’ disappearance, referring to initial claims that no one knew where he was for the past eight years.

Farias was found sleeping outside a church on June 29. A good Samaritan contacted authorities, who were able to connect Farias with his family because he had something on him that identified a family member, KHOU reported.

Santa, Farias’ mother, released a statement Monday regarding her son:

We want to thank the media and public for all their support. My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29th, after being missing for 8 years. Currently, we do not have any additional information on Rudy’s case. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal.

Another twist in the case came when it was discovered that in 2018 — three years after Farias allegedly went missing — family members called police to say that Farias was living behind a relative’s home. When police searched the area, they didn’t find Farias.

Farias was found just 25 minutes from where he allegedly disappeared.

The gunman charged with killing five men and injuring two children in Philadelphia Monday night has reportedly been identified as a cross-dressing Black Lives Matter supporter.

The suspect, 40, issued social media posts supporting Black Lives Matter and also posted photos on Facebook of himself wearing “a bra, a women’s top and earrings with his hair braided long,” the New York Post reported. He also posted messages such as, “How do you know if an evil spirit is following you,” and a photo of a map listing “black massacres” across the United States captioned, “We kept the receipts,” The Daily Mail reported.

EXCLUSIVE: Cross-dressing gunman behind Philly bloodbath is BLM backer https://t.co/ITm1fHX5KK via @MailOnline

— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) July 5, 2023

One post showed a person holding a pistol accompanied by the statement, “Wherefore art thou opposition so I may slide upon thine block and runneth down on thee.” Another post showed video of children firing a rifle.

The suspect had “an aggressive approach to some things in life,” Tina Rosette, 49, who lived with him in 2021, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Rosette’s daughter Cianni, 24, added that the suspect often showed her a handgun and “was trying to get me comfortable around guns and stuff like that.”

The Rosettes moved out in 2022; Tina Rossette said she thought the suspect had been in “a dark place” lately.

Responding to gunfire at around 8:30 Monday night, police chased the suspect, who continued to fire his gun before he was caught, according to Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. He was reportedly using a police scanner to monitor police. The suspect was reportedly armed with a rifle, pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner, and a bullet-proof vest; police found dozens of shell casings in an eight-block area.

“You can see there are several scenes out here,” Outlaw said. “We’re canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located, and to do everything to figure out the why.”

“Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did. I can’t even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown,” Outlaw concluded.

The victims of Monday’s shooting have been identified as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; and Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31. The Daily Wire is not naming the suspect in keeping with a policy that seeks to deprive mass shooters of the notoriety that often crave.