A man who authorities believed was missing for eight years was not actually missing, Houston police said Thursday, adding that his mother deceived police by remaining adamant that he was missing.

Officials said earlier this week that Rudolph “Rudy” Farias was found alive after allegedly vanishing as a teenager eight years ago, but community members then raised questions about whether he was ever truly missing. …

But neighbors who said they have spent time with Farias since he supposedly vanished have questioned the family’s story and whether or not he truly disappeared.

[I headlined that development yesterday, and apparently police have determined that those witnesses are telling the truth. If so, then the mother and son should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law to discourage others from seeking attention and distracting police from real cases of missing and exploited children. — Ed]