‘True miracle’: Parents relieved as Gastonia teen returns home months after disappearance

GASTONIA, N.C. — A 16-year-old who had been missing since last year is now back home safe in Gastonia.

Luis Tario originally went missing in October 2025. According to the Gastonia Police Department, he was located in Florida after receiving a tip.

Channel 9’s Ken Lemon talked to the boy’s father Friday morning. Alfredo Tario said the campaign to get Luis Tario’s face out everywhere is what brought him home.

He said the 16-year-old left home in his sister’s car on Halloween. Alfredo Tario says his son connected with another teen in Jacksonville, Florida. So far, there’s no word on how he ended up there.

The man said that the teen recognized Luis from a flyer and called authorities. Thursday night, Luis Tario slept at home in Gastonia for the first time in five months.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a true miracle,” Alfredo Tario said. “We held steadfast knowing that he was ok, that he was alive. We just didn’t think it was going to take this long, but again, he is doing well.”

“From the beginning, it has been such a grueling and painful process,“ Sister Nataly Tario said.

The family is well, too. They got several calls that didn’t pan out until, finally, one brought their son home unharmed.

“We wake up and it’s not a nightmare anymore. We wake up and it’s a dream,” Tario said.

Authorities said the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are still under investigation.

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