Rudy Farias mother is not facing charges for eight-year lie, police say
The case surrounding Rudy Farias took another bizarre turn as Houston police confirmed the 25-year-old was never actually missing – but denied bombshell claims of abuse by his mother.
On Thursday, police said Mr Farias’ mother, Janie Santana, filed a missing person’s report on 6 March 2015 but he returned home the following day.
Over the next eight years, investigators spoke with Ms Santana, Mr Farias and other family members but were given false names and told he was Ms Santana’s nephew.
Despite this, prosecutors won’t be pursuing charges for “making fictitious reports”.
The decision not to bring charges against Ms Santana was condemned by other relatives, with one of her sisters accusing police of a “cover-up”.
The police account on Thursday also directly contradicted allegations made by community leader and counsellor Quanell X, who attended a meeting with Mr Farias and detectives on Wednesday. Quanell X had told reporters that Mr Farias said he spent the last eight years hidden in his mother’s home suffering abuse at her hands.
Officials were unable to provide an explanation for the contradictions on Thursday but Quanell X doubled down on his claims in an exclusive interview with The Independent.
Key Points
Show latest update
How did police not find the ‘missing teen’ if he was at home all these years?
Neighbours and family members have come forward saying that they knew Rudy Farias was not missing, yet for eight years the young man was still considered missing.
Houston police admitted that they had multiple interactions with both the 25-year-old and his mother during the time he was allegedly missing.
And yet police failed to uncover the deception for eight years.
In a press conference on Thursday, authorities said that they had received tips and leads over the years about Mr Farias – including lines of inquiry that he was not missing at all.
During follow-ups, police obtained statements from friends, relatives and neighbours.
Mr Farias also had multiple interactions with Houston police over the eight years – but both he and his mother, Janie Santana gave different names to officers, police said.
Ms Santana even claimed that the man was her nephew – and not her son, police said.
She “remained adamant that her son Rudy was still missing”.
It remains unclear what steps police took – during those encounters – to determine whether or not the man before them was who he said he was.
Ariana Baio8 July 2023 00:00
After Rudy Farias was ‘found’ neighbours sounded the alarms
Just days after 25-year-old Rudolph “Rudy” Farias was found eight years after he went missing, neighbours questioned his disappearance.
Kisha Ross, a neighbour of Mr Farias and his mother, Janie Santana, said she had seen, and spent time, with Mr Farias in the time he was supposedly missing.
“He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter,” Ms Ross told ABC 7. “That boy has never been missing.”
Ms Ross said that her family knew Mr Farias as “Dolph” and that he often spent time at their home, though they had not seen him recently.
Ms Santana said neighbours were likely confusing Mr Farias with her nephew but neighbours insisted the photo showed “Dolph”.
“I am confused right now,” Ms Ross said.
Another neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous to ABC 7, said he knew and saw Mr Farias living at his mother’s house for years.
“I was just shocked someone over here was missing, and we see him,” the neighbour said. “It’s shocking to everyone.”
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 23:00
Rudy Farias’ mother initially claimed her son was “non verbal”
Janie Santana told investigators in Houston, Texas that her 25-year-old son who was found eight years after he went missing was unable to speak with investigators because he was non-verbal.
Days later, Rudy Farias spoke with investigators and a councellor where he alleged his mother had abused him.
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 22:30
Quanell X’s allegations about Rudy Farias’ mother
Quanell X, a community leader and councellor, told reporters on Wednesday that after meeting with Rudy Farias, he told him his mother abused him.
“I heard horrific things from that young man, and I didn’t want him to see me shedding tears but I couldn’t hold [them] back,” Quanell X told reporters on Wednesday, according to FOX 26 Houston. “No child should ever be treated like that by their own mother.”
The counsellor claimed that Mr Farias said his mother sexually and physically abused him, forced him to take hallucinogenic mushrooms and kept him hidden in the home during the time she claimed he was missing and publicly pleaded for his safe return.
Houston police contradicted Quanell X’s claims in a press conference on Thursday saying Mr Farias never made a statement related to those allegations.
Quanell X doubled down on his information, telling The Independent that he fully believes Mr Farias is a victim.
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 22:00
An eight-year search for Rudy Farias came to a miracle conclusion. But was he actually missing?
Rudy Farias’ mother announced he was found alive eight years after he was reported missing as a teen. This news came as a surprise to neighbours and police, who are sure he wasn’t missing at all.
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 21:30
What investigators were told during the search for ‘missing’ Rudy Farias
Questions are arising as to how investigators in the Houston Police Department did not officially determine that Rudy Farias was not missing for eight years despite interacting with him and his mother, Janie Santana.
In a press conference on Thursday, authorities revealed that they determined Mr Farias was never missing in the eight years he was thought to be.
After Ms Santana filed a missing persons report in March 2015, Mr Farias returned home the following day. When investigators followed up with Ms Santana via leads and tips, she told them her son was still missing and claimed Mr Farias was actually her nephew.
(Texas Center for the Missing)
Mr Farias and Ms Santana gave police fake names and birthdays to mislead authorities.
Meanwhile, when private investigators got involved, Ms Santana would seemingly mislead them too by claiming her son was in Mexico possibly being trafficked.
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 21:00
Private Investigator reveals Janie Santana was ‘controlling’ a ‘narrative’ during investigation
A private investigator who worked on Rudy Farias’ case when he was first reported missing revealed to Newsweek that Janie Santana, Mr Farias’ mother, acted strange.
Mark Renteria an investigator with Checkmate Investigative Field Services, said that for the two years and and his wife worked on Mr Farias’ case they noticed “unusual” things.
Mr Renteria said Ms Santana did not seem “all that emotional” that her son was missing and did not try to help during the investigation – like handing out flyers or hosting search events. He also said that any lead they had in the investigation came from Ms Santana herself.
Mr Renteria said after a while it became “apparent” that Ms Santana was “controlling a lot of this stuff” in the case.
“She was controlling a lot of the narrative; she was controlling how the case progressed.”
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 20:30
Watch: Houston community activist Quanell X defends Rudy Farias’ statements
INTERVIEW: Houston community activist Quanell X defends Rudy Farias’ statements
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 20:00
Why did Rudy Farias’ mother continue to claim he was missing for eight years?
One of the biggest questions surrounding the case of Rudy Farias is why his mother continued to claim he was missing for eight years – when he had actually returned home just one day after he disappeared.
A possible motive has emerged in the fact that Janie Santana profited financially from the false claims of her son’s disappearance.
On 22 March 2015 – around two weeks after he was reported missing – a GoFundMe was launched to help track down the missing teenager.
“Please help us find RUDY FARIAS IV! Rudy went out to walk his 2 puppies on March 6th 2015 and has not been seen nor heard from since then !” The description reads.
It continues: “Rudy’s mother is a single parent who has already lost her eldest son in 2011 and Rudy’s father in 2014 !!! She needs financial assistance since she is unable to work understandably so with her son missing! The bills are pilling up and Rudy’s mother’s health has also deteriorated as she is devestated ….mentally…physically and emotionally utterly exhausted!!
Several donated a total of $2,025 to the fundraiser. The funds all went to Ms Santana who profited from the claim.
During Thursday’s press conference, Houston police were asked whether mental illness could have perhaps played a part in what transpired.
Police declined to comment on that possibility, saying they are “not going to go into that now” but that the investigation is continuing.
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 19:30
Rudy Farias’ remarkable return turned out to be a lie. But many questions still remain
What exactly happened to Mr Farias over the past eight years, why his mother sought to deceive authorities and how she seemingly succeeded for all this time continue to be something of a mystery.
Ariana Baio7 July 2023 19:00