HOUSTON – Extended family members of Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, the Houston man who “disappeared” as a teen in 2015, claims Farias’ mother was “sexually, physically and mentally” abusing her son before he was wrongly reported missing, according to a report from KSAT sister station KPRC.
Other news outlets have reported allegations of sexual abuse between Farias and his mother Janie Santana based on interviews with a Houston-area activist name Quanell X.
However, during a news conference last week investigators were adamant that no statements had been made during their investigation thus far regarding sexual abuse. That news conference can be viewed in the media player above.
Farias’ cousin Michelle Rodriguez told KPRC last week that the family believes Farias is a victim and they want police to do more to uncover crimes they believe his mother committed.
“Janie needs to be brought in,” Rodriguez said. “They’re not going to know what the hell she’s really done if they don’t bring her in and put pressure on her to talk.”
“They’re covering up what they knew years ago and they didn’t want to come out forward,” Rodriguez said.
Santana has also been banned from using GoFundMe after investigators determined she was trying to raise money to find her son even though he was at home.
KSAT sister station KPRC reached out to GoFundMe after Houston police revealed that Farias was never actually missing, despite Santana’s claims that her son disappeared in March 2015.
“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing. The fundraiser has been removed from the platform and the beneficiary has been banned from using GoFundMe for any future fundraisers,” a spokesperson for the crowdfunding website told KPRC.
Farias was originally reported missing 8 years ago and was found around 10 p.m. on June 29 outside a church on 76th Street at Avenue L in Houston, near Buffalo Bayou. Detectives said during the press conference that Farias actually returned home on March 7, 2015, the day after he was reported missing.
Santana has used at least five different last names based on Harris County court records, according to a report from KPRC.
Investigators have said Farias made contact with officers multiple times over the past 8 years but used fake names and dates of birth. Lt. Chris Zamora with HPD’s Missing Persons Unit said Santana also provided police with fictitious names while Farias was “missing.”
An investigation by KPRC revealed that Santana was married multiple times and at least one of those marriages was voided because an ex claimed she was married to at least two other people at the same time.
The Houston District Attorney’s office is currently declining to press any charges against Santana or Farias for filing fake reports and providing fake names.
Police said they were going to do more interviews and continue their investigation. The case is ongoing and Farias is reportedly staying with friends.