Rudy Farias ‘plans to avoid mother’ as abuse claims swirl after fake missing case exposed - latest update

Rudy Farias reportedly plans to avoid his mother after she was exposed for falsely claiming he was missing for eight years in Houston, Texas.

Pauline Sanchez said her nephew is “doing well” but doesn’t want to see or live with his mother Janie Santana, who has been the subject of harrowing claims of abuse against her son - though police denied those claims.

Mr Farias made headlines this week when Ms Santana announced that the now-25-year-old had been “found” eight years after she reported him missing.

Houston police later confirmed that Mr Farias was never actually missing and had been living at home with his mother the whole time.

Following an interview with detectives, community activist Quanell X, who was in the meeting, claimed that Mr Farias had alleged alarming abuse by his mother. The activist's claims were then confusingly shut down by police, after which he doubled down in an interview with The Independent.

Prosecutors have declined to bring charges against Ms Santana for lying. The decision was condemned by other relatives, with one of her sisters accusing police of a “cover-up”.

An investigation is ongoing as numerous questions remain around the case.

Key Points

• An 8-year search for Rudy Farias came to a miracle end. But was he really missing?

• Timeline of Rudy Farias’s disappearance and discovery

• Houston investigators say Rudy Farias was never missing

• District Attorney will not pursue charges against Rudy Farias’ mother

• GoFundMe to search for Rudy Farias raised $2k

Rudy Farias is staying with family friend ‘until he knows he can cope by himself'

17:45 , Megan Sheets

Rudy Farias is currently staying with a family friend as a media firestorm continues over his sham disappearance.

The 25-year-old’s aunt, Pauline Sanchez, told the Houston Chronicle that he’s taking time away from his mother Janie Santana to “adjust” and will call his family when he’s “ready”.

“Nobody’s going to go around him and he’s not coming out of that place until there’s no media around and he’s free and comfortable,” Ms Sanchez said.

“It won’t be until he knows he can cope by himself.”

Rudy Farias’ mother may face legal action from GoFundMe after she profited from fake disappearance story

16:45 , Megan Sheets

Rudy Farias’ mother could soon face legal action from GoFundMe after she raked in thousands of dollars in donations by falsely claiming that her son was missing.

The fundraising platform said in a statement on Thursday that Janie Santana had been permanently banned from GoFundMe and from all future beneficiary opportunities after the bizarre scam came to light this week.

“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations and those accused of wrongdoing,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek.

“Our trust and safety team takes swift action against those who exploit the generosity of our community, including with the outright removal of a fundraiser, banning an account for violating our terms of service, and even pursuing potential legal recourse.”

Rachel Sharp reports:

Rudy Farias’ mother may face legal action from GoFundMe

Houston Police ask for public to ‘respect the investigative process'

15:45 , Megan Sheets

Houston Police presented a bevy of shocking information on the Rudy Farias case at a press conference on Thursday, revealing that he was never actually missing and that his mother would not face charges for lying to investigators.

Since then, officials have been quiet on the case.

The last police statement came on Friday, with a “reminder” for the public that the investigation is still ongoing.

Activist accuses Janie Santana of ‘catfishing’ online

14:45 , Megan Sheets

A local Houston activist has claimed that Rudy Farias’ mother engaged in “catfishing” on social media.

Janie Santana regularly used photos of other people on a collection of fake Facebook profiles, the activist known as Grizzy told the New York Post.

In one instance as recently as last week - while her son’s sham disappearance was making international headlines - she used a photo of a blonde country singer, Grizzy claimed.

“She created a family of catfish profiles to support her posts because nobody likes her stuff or comments back, so she’s created a lot of fake profiles to circle her,” she said. “She’s using it for love, for personal gain, for money — whatever she needs it for. She’s a very calculating person.”

Grizzy claimed that Ms Santana contacted her after the mother claimed her son had been found “safe” to ask for help with online trolls.

Four major unanswered questions in the Rudy Farias case

13:45 , Megan Sheets

What exactly happened to Rudy 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.

Here, The Independent’s Rachel Sharp seeks to unpack some of the many unanswered questions in the case:

Rudy Farias’ return turned out to be a lie. These unanswered questions remain

Why is Janie Santana not facing criminal charges?

11:45 , Megan Sheets

Despite police now saying they know that the eight-year disappearance was nothing but a fraud, Rudy Farias’ mother Janie Santana is not currently facing any criminal charges.

In Thursday’s press conference, Lt Zamora said the district attorney had declined to bring any charges in the case “at this time”.

“Being missing is not a crime,” Lt Zamora said, insisting that – under Texas law – Mr Farias was classed as an adult when he went missing.

When pressed that making fictitious reports to police was a crime, authorities stood by the “integrity” of the investigation and said that it is ongoing.

Rudy Farias ‘confidante’ shares suspicions about mother

07:45 , Megan Sheets

A woman who considered herself a “surrogate parent” to Rudy Farias before he was reported missing has spoken out following revelations that the disappearance was a sham.

Jacque Brunswick lived in the same Houston neighbourhood as Mr Farias in the years before his mother, Janie Santana, claimed he vanished in March 2015.

In a Friday appearance on NewsNation, Ms Brunswick revealed she has long believed that Ms Santana was involved in the disappearance.

“I honestly had always thought that Janie had something to do with it, had her hands in it some way or somehow,” she said.

“After a couple of years I started grieving him because I truly thought that he was dead.”

Ms Brunswick described Mr Farias as a “timid” teenager who appeared to be afraid of his mother.

Read more:

‘Surrogate parent’ to Rudy Farias reveals years-long suspicions about his mother

Where is Rudy Farias’ mother now?

05:45 , Megan Sheets

Rumours are swirling that Rudy Farias’ mother Janie Santana is “on the run” following explosive abuse claims.

A neighbour reportedly called 911 on Thursday night to report seeing Ms Santana leave her home in Houston just after midnight.

It came hours after police confirmed that Ms Santana had lied about her son being missing for eight years - but refuted abuse claims by local activist Quanell X.

Ms Santana had speculated on Wednesday that she would be arrested before authorities announced that prosecutors are not planning to press charges.

Her current whereabouts are unknown.

WATCH: Quanell X alleges Rudy Farias was ‘abused'

03:45 , Megan Sheets

Houston police and activist Quanell X give different accounts of the same interview

01:45 , Rachel Sharp

While it is now clear that Rudy Farias’ disappearance was a fraud, what remains unclear is what he did and what he may have suffered during the mysterious eight-year time gap.

On Wednesday, Mr Farias was interviewed by Houston Police investigators.

Following the meeting, he was led out of the building by community activist Quanell X.

Quanell X told reporters that the 25-year-old claimed he had suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his mother over the past eight years.

“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. “No child should ever be treated like that by their own mother.”

He claimed Mr Farias said Ms Santana abused him, forced him to take hallucinogenic mushrooms and kept him hidden in his home all the while continuing to claim he was missing.

But, his version of events was contradicted by Houston police on Thursday who said that Mr Farias did not tell investigators he had been abused.

Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)’s missing persons unit, said that “we do take all allegations seriously and any new information or facts that we receive will be investigated”.

But Quanell X doubled down on the abuse claims in an interview with The Independent.

“I believe that Rudy is absolutely a victim,” he said after the briefing.

“The kid was distraught ... absolutely distraught,” Quanell X said of Mr Farias’ demeanour in the police interview. “He went back and forth; he acted like a teenager, then he would act 20...is he 23 or 25? He went back and forth between like a child state to a mature state.”

Quanell X went on to accuse police of “trying to hide from conducting a shady sham investigation”.

“It’s all confusing as hell to me now,” he said. “I think they’re revictimising the kid all over again. I believe he needs extensive medical, psychological help and treatment.”

Why did Rudy Farias’ mother lie about his disappearance?

Saturday 8 July 2023 23:45 , Rachel Sharp

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Rudy Farias case is why his mother Janie Santana 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 Ms 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.

“It has been over a month and Rudy is still Missing,” it read.

“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 ! Rudy’s 2 puppies WERE FOUND but not Rudy! He suffers from both physical and mental disabilities, so we need to get him home ASAP!... We are asking for donations to be able to offer a reward for Information leading us TO Rudy as well as medical expenses for Rudy since he has been missing since March 6th,and each day that passes...means his health is deteriorating gravelly.

“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!!

“Please dig deep into your hearts and put yourselves in Rudy’s mother place... she cannot do this Alone! Give what you can and know that God will bless you and all that you do for her! We Believe that Rudy IS STILL ALIVE AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT! God Bless you and know that All monies Will be used accordingly towards the REWARD and the needs of the Search.”

Several people dug deep and donated a total of $2,025 to the fundraiser, titled “Donate to Help Find Rudy Farias IV,” in the hopes it would help to bring Mr Farias home. The funds all went to Ms Santana who profited from the claim.

Yet, while she may have reaped some financial benefit from the scam, no donations have been made to the GoFundMe since 2015 – raising questions as to whether or not this may have been a solid motive.

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.

Rudy Farias was afraid of his mother as a teenager, ‘confidante' says

Saturday 8 July 2023 21:45 , Megan Sheets

Rudy Farias’ former neighbour has described how he appeared afraid of his mother before she reported him missing in 2015.

Jacque Brunswick considered herself a “surrogate parent” to Mr Farias before he allegedly vanished in Houston over eight years ago, she told NewsNation.

Ms Brunswick said she became close with the then-teenager following his brother’s death in a motorcycle accident.

“Rudy was really having trouble dealing with it and was wanting help,” she said. “And it wasn’t just me. There was some other people that you know, we started that taking him under our wings.”

Ms Brunswick said the then-teenager was “sheltered” and appeared to be nervous around his mother, Janie Santana.

“He was a very timid young man, would not look at you when he spoke, especially if she was around,” she said. “He would look at the ground and fidget with his hands.”

Read more:

‘Surrogate parent’ to Rudy Farias reveals years-long suspicions about his mother

Former Houston detective condemns Quanell X comments

Saturday 8 July 2023 20:45 , Megan Sheets

A former Houston detective has criticised activist Quanell X for airing claims of abuse allegedly suffered by Rudy Farias.

Tensions arose between Quanell X and Houston police when the activist came out to claim that Mr Farias had alleged abuse by his mother - which officials roundly denied.

Quanell X first spoke out about the case on Wednesday after attending a meeting between Mr Farias and detectives.

“That boy needs to go to the best drug rehab and best psychological, mental health facility we can find for him. He’s a good kid. That kid was just severely abused,” he told reporters.

At a press conference on Thursday, Lt Christopher Zamora denied Quanell X’s account, saying Mr Farias had not made any such claims.

While confusion over the conflicting accounts persists, former detective Mark Stephens said that Quanell X may have hurt any chance at bringing charges should the abuse claims be found credible.

“He got on national television and declared to the world for the past eight years, Rudy, the alleged victim here, has been on psychedelic drugs,” Mr Stephens told KTRK. “So basically for the last decade, why would you then believe him when he tells you these horrible stories about his mother?”

Rudy Farias ‘couldn’t stand’ his mother, neighbour claims

Saturday 8 July 2023 19:45 , Megan Sheets

A neighbour who spent time with Rudy Farias during the years he was falsely considered missing has claimed that he “couldn’t stand” his mother Janie Santana.

Jeanay Wyble told Newsweek she was stunned when she heard reports last week that Mr Farias had been “found” after eight years - because she never knew about his purported disappearance.

“I was shocked because we were hanging around with him. We invited him to our house, and we didn’t know he was missing,” she said.

She said that Ms Santana had tried to convince her and other people in the neighbourhood that Mr Farias was her nephew - as was confirmed by Houston police on Thursday.

Ms Wyble said Mr Farias didn’t have “major” issues but that he “didn’t like being around her”.

Was Rudy Farias’ mother suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Saturday 8 July 2023 19:00 , Megan Sheets

Rudy Farias’ mother Janie Santana may be suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a private investigator who tried to track him down told The Independent.

Brenda Paradise said that early on she felt many of Ms Santana’s claims about her son’s disappearance in 2015 didn’t add up, and says his mother probably lied to rake in thousands of dollars in public donations.

Ms Paradise told The Independent that when she first got involved with the case days after the missing person’s report was filed, she became aware that Ms Santana had created a GoFundMe page claiming that her son had been diagnosed with cancer.

She said she didn’t see any evidence that the diagnosis was genuine, and was unsure how much money the fundraiser attracted.

After Mr Farias’ case began attracting attention, the cancer fundraiser “quietly went away.” She said she mentioned the page to the Houston Police Department (HPD).

After Mr Farias was reported missing, Ms Santana set up a second fundraiser with the goal of making $75,000 to “help find Rudy”. She received just over $2,000 before the page was shut down this week.

Days after Mr Farias disappeared, Ms Paradise said she attended a community fundraiser organised to aid the search.

She told The Independent Ms Santana showed up two hours later, pocketed approximately $2,000, and then left within 20 minutes.

“I don’t know what she’s trying to get money for but it’s been a money grab the whole way.” Ms Paradise told The Independent.

Read more from Bevan Hurley’s interview with Ms Paradise here.

Adult protective services visit Rudy Farias’ mother’s home

Saturday 8 July 2023 18:15 , Megan Sheets

An adult protective services official was reportedly seen outside the home of Janie Santana on Friday.

Footage shared on Twitter by KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel shows a man surveying the front of the house.

The journalist said that the official knocked on the door without an answer and looked through the windows.

Where is Rudy Farias’ mother now?

Saturday 8 July 2023 17:30 , Megan Sheets

Rumours are swirling that Rudy Farias’ mother Janie Santana is “on the run” following explosive abuse claims.

A neighbour reportedly called 911 on Thursday night to report seeing Ms Santana leave her home in Houston just after midnight.

It came hours after police confirmed that Ms Santana had lied about her son being missing for eight years - but refuted abuse claims by local activist Quanell X.

Ms Santana had speculated on Wednesday that she would be arrested before authorities announced that prosecutors are not planning to press charges.

Her current whereabouts are unknown.

PI who spend hundreds of hours trying to track down Rudy Farias speaks out

Saturday 8 July 2023 16:45 , Megan Sheets

A private investigator who tried to track down Rudy Farias has told The Independent of her shock at learning that his mother Janie Santana will not face charges for lying about the disappearance for eight years.

Brenda Paradise began working on the case three days after Mr Farias was reported to have gone missing in 2015, and devoted hundreds of hours to finding him.

Ms Paradise said that early on she felt many of Ms Santana’s claims about her son’s disappearance didn’t add up, and that his mother probably lied to rake in thousands of dollars in public donations.

She said she wasn’t surprised when Mr Farias turned out to have been with his mother all along. But her “jaw dropped” when she heard police would not be pressing charges.

“If somebody had held a little blonde girl hostage all those years, police would have been all over this case.”

Read more from The Independent’s Bevan Hurley:

Was Rudy Farias’ mother suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

‘Surrogate parent’ to Rudy Farias reveals years-long suspicions about his mother

Saturday 8 July 2023 16:00 , Megan Sheets

A woman who considered herself a “surrogate parent” to Rudy Farias before he was reported missing has spoken out following revelations that the disappearance was a sham.

Jacque Brunswick lived in the same Houston neighbourhood as Mr Farias in the years before his mother, Janie Santana, claimed he vanished in March 2015.

In a Friday appearance on NewsNation, Ms Brunswick revealed she has long believed that Ms Santana was involved in the disappearance.

“I honestly had always thought that Janie had something to do with it, had her hands in it some way or somehow,” she said.

“After a couple of years I started grieving him because I truly thought that he was dead.”

Ms Brunswick described Mr Farias as a “timid” teenager who appeared to be afraid of his mother.

Read more:

‘Surrogate parent’ to Rudy Farias reveals years-long suspicions about his mother

Questions surrounding Rudy Farias’ return remain

Saturday 8 July 2023 15:30 , Megan Sheets

At first glance, it appeared to be a happy ending where a family was reunited and a mother’s years of agony searching for her missing child finally came to an end.

But, it quickly became apparent that things weren’t what they seemed.

Rudy Farias’ remarkable return eight years after his mother Janie Santana filed a missing persons report turned out to be nothing but a scam.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Rudy Farias’ return turned out to be a lie. These unanswered questions remain

Rudy Farias doesn’t want contact with his mother, aunt claims

Saturday 8 July 2023 14:30 , Megan Sheets

Rudy Farias’ aunt has insisted that he does not want any contact with his mother, despite police claims that he voluntarily returned home after being “found” last week.

Pauline Sanchez told NBC News that Mr Farias is “doing well” but that he “plans to stay away from” his mother Janie Santana after her eight-year lie about his disappearance was exposed.

“His mentality, he needs to get well. He’s going to be cautious. I still feel that he’s traumatized and gone through a lot. I still feel action should be taken,” Ms Sanchez said. “He doesn’t want to see his mom and doesn’t want to go back to his mom.”

Ms Sanchez said she saw her nephew for the first time in eight years on Thursday night, hours after police confirmed that Mr Farias had never been missing at all. Rather, police said Mr Farias had been home with his mother the whole time.

“I felt great presence,” Ms Sanchez said of the reunion. “It was beautiful. We hugged until I finally let go. He’s a bit skinny.”

Rudy Farias’ childhood was marked by tragedy

Saturday 8 July 2023 14:00 , Ariana Baio

From a young age, Rudy Farias experienced life-changing tragedies.

Mr Farias, 25, was recently declared “found” after, supposedly, being missing for eight years. Then in a bombshell revelation, Houston authorities revealed he was never missing and had been living with his mother using false names.

Allegations that Mr Farias’ mother had abused him arose from the strange case which police have denied.

But as more information comes to light, it was revealed Mr Farias experienced several tragic hardships in his childhood.

At 13 years old, Mr Farias’ half-brother, Charles Uresti, was killed in a motorcycle crash. A private investigator, hired by the Farias family, told NBC’s Dateline in 2015 that Mr Farias and his mother were the first to the crash scene.

“He watched his best friend die right in front of him,” Brenda Paradise told Dateline. “His brother was his best friend in the world. He’s just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.”

Then in 2014, Mr Farias’ father died by suicide while under investigation for a fake speed ticketing scheme.

An investigation by KHOU 11 found that officers were falsely claiming to have witnessed speeding infractions in order to claim overtime by testifying in court.

Cousin of Rudy Farias describes his mother as ‘manipulative'

Saturday 8 July 2023 13:00 , Ariana Baio

Rudy Farias was spotted in 2018

Saturday 8 July 2023 12:00 , Ariana Baio

In the eight years that Rudy Farias was “missing” he was sighted by his cousin once in 2018 and reported to police.

In 2018, Mr Farias’ cousin, Cassandra Lopez, called Houston police to say he had been spotted at his mother’s home, according to Click 2 Houston.

When officers showed up at Ms Santana’s home, they said they didn’t find any sign of the missing boy.

Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)’s missing persons unit, told reporters this week that officers had unspecified interactions with Mr Farias during the eight years he was “missing”. It was unclear when exactly this happened.

During those interactions, he said both mother and son gave false names and dates of birth to officers, and claimed that Mr Farias was her nephew not her son.

ICYMI: District Attorney will not pursue charges against Rudy Farias’ mother

Saturday 8 July 2023 11:00 , Ariana Baio

Houston police confirmed that 25-year-old Rudy Farias was not missing for the eight years his mother claimed he was but said the Houston district attorney declined to pursue charges against Jamie Santana.

Ms Santana could have been charged with “making fictitious reports” or “failure to ID” but the DA chose not to make those charges.

Police could not offer a possible motive behind why Ms Santana claimed her son was missing when he was not.

Rudy Farias’ mother may face legal action from GoFundMe after she profited from fake disappearance story

Saturday 8 July 2023 10:00 , Ariana Baio

Rudy Farias’ mother could soon face legal action from GoFundMe after she raked in thousands of dollars in donations by falsely claiming that her son was missing.

The fundraising platform said in a statement on Thursday that Janie Santana had been permanently banned from GoFundMe and from all future beneficiary opportunities after the bizarre scam came to light this week.

“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations and those accused of wrongdoing,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek.

“Our trust and safety team takes swift action against those who exploit the generosity of our community, including with the outright removal of a fundraiser, banning an account for violating our terms of service, and even pursuing potential legal recourse.”

Rachel Sharp reports:

Rudy Farias’ mother may face legal action from GoFundMe

Relative of Rudy Farias says his mother is ‘manipulative’

Saturday 8 July 2023 09:00 , Ariana Baio

Michelle Rodriguez, the cousin of Rudy Farias, speculated that something more sinister may be occurring in case of his fictitious disappearance.

While speaking with Chris Cuomo for NewsNation on Thursday evening, Ms Rodriguez said it was not like Mr Farias to lie about his disappearance but it was like his mother, Janie Santana

“She’s very conniving, she’s very manipulative,” Ms Rodriguez said. “She tries to make people fear her.”

The GoFundMe for Rudy Farias

Saturday 8 July 2023 08:00 , Ariana Baio

Quanell X doubles down on claims Rudy Farias was abused by his mother

Saturday 8 July 2023 07:00 , Ariana Baio

A community activist who first aired claims that Rudy Farias was abused by his mother has doubled down after a denial by Houston police.

Quanell X, who says he was in the room with Mr Farias when he spoke to investigators on Wednesday, emerged from the meeting to tell reporters that the 25-year-old had described being hidden and subjected to abuse by his mother, Janie Santana, for eight years after she reported him missing in 2015.

Houston police officials denied this account at a press conference on Thursday, saying there was no evidence that Mr Farias was abused.

Reached by The Independent shortly after the press conference, Quanell X said: “I believe that Rudy is absolutely a victim.”

Bevan Hurley and Sheila Flynn report:

Activist doubles down on Rudy Farias abuse claims after confusing police denial

Rudy Farias’ mother said she expected to be arrested

Saturday 8 July 2023 06:00 , Ariana Baio

Janie Santana told neighbours she thought she was going to be arrested after her son Rudy Farias was reportedly “found” eight years after he was reported missing.

In a video clip, obtained by KPRC 2, Ms Santana is seen speaking to her neighbours as she got out of her car on Wednesday.

“When he first went missing, he didn’t report it to the police,” Ms Santana said.

She added: “And they are trying to say that he might have done some crimes. Which he didn’t. And now they want to arrest me. Because they said I was hiding him.”

A timeline in the strange case of Rudy Farias

Saturday 8 July 2023 05:00 , Ariana Baio

Rudy Farias was reported missing on 7 March 2015, sparking an eight-year search. In reality, police say he was at his mother’s house all along

Bevan Hurley reports:

Rudy Farias: A timeline of the bizarre case of the ‘missing’ Texas man

Watch: Police confirm Rudy Farias’ mother will not facing charges for eight-year lie

Saturday 8 July 2023 04:00 , Ariana Baio

Rudy Farias was never missing but his mother won’t face charges for eight-year lie, police say

Saturday 8 July 2023 03:00 , Ariana Baio

Rudy Farias returned home the day after he went missing in 2015, and despite “numerous” false statements being made to police no criminal charges are currently planned, the Houston police have said.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told a press conference on Thursday that police interviews with Mr Farias and his mother Janie Santana on Wednesday had found no evidence of sexual or abuse during the eight years he was supposedly missing, despite claims by a counsellor who sat in on a police interview with Mr Farias on Wednesday.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Rudy Farias was never missing but his mother is not facing charges, police say

Investigators were told Rudy Farias was Janie Santana’s nephew during search

Saturday 8 July 2023 02:00 , Ariana Baio

Houston police revealed on Thursday that during the eight-years Rudy Farias was “missing” they followed-up with his mother, Janie Santana, who misled them.

Ms Santana filed a missing persons report for her then-17-year-old son in March 2015. The day after the report was filed, Mr Farias returned home.

But when investigators were working to determine if Mr Farias was actually missing, Ms Santana gave them fake names and birthdays as well as told authorities that Mr Farias was her nephew to throw them off.

It is unclear why Ms Santana did this.

GoFundMe says it has ‘zero tolerance’ for misuse

Saturday 8 July 2023 01:00 , Ariana Baio

After it was revealed that there was a GoFundMe set up to benefit Rudy Farias’ mother in the eight years he was “missing” the company has issued a statement condemning misuse.

“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent.

Police confirmed on Thursday that Mr Farias was never missing and was living at home with his mother the entire time. Mr Farias and his mother gave police a false name and claimed he was her nephew in the eight years he was “missing”.

Over the course of years, the GoFundMe raised over $2,000 dollars to benefit Janie Santana.

“The fundraiser has been removed from the platform and the beneficiary has been banned from using GoFundMe for any future fundraisers,” GoFundMe said.

How did police not find the ‘missing teen’ if he was at home all these years?

Saturday 8 July 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

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.

After Rudy Farias was ‘found’ neighbours sounded the alarms

Friday 7 July 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

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.”

Rudy Farias’ mother initially claimed her son was “non verbal”

Friday 7 July 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

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.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Houston police detectives to interview Rudy Farias eight years after he went missing

Quanell X’s allegations about Rudy Farias’ mother

Friday 7 July 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

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.

An eight-year search for Rudy Farias came to a miracle conclusion. But was he actually missing?

Friday 7 July 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

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.

Andrea Blanco reports:

An 8-year search for Rudy Farias came to a miracle end. But was he really missing?

What investigators were told during the search for ‘missing’ Rudy Farias

Friday 7 July 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

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.

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.

Private Investigator reveals Janie Santana was ‘controlling’ a ‘narrative’ during investigation

Friday 7 July 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

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."

Watch: Houston community activist Quanell X defends Rudy Farias’ statements

Friday 7 July 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Why did Rudy Farias' mother continue to claim he was missing for eight years?

Friday 7 July 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

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.

Rudy Farias’ remarkable return turned out to be a lie. But many questions still remain

Friday 7 July 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

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.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Rudy Farias’ return turned out to be a lie. These unanswered questions remain