Texas Man Reported Missing as Teen in 2015 Only Disappeared for 1 Day, Reveals Police

In a surprising twist, the case of a Texas man who was reported missing as a teenager in 2015 and recently found alive at a church has been unveiled as a hoax. Police disclosed on Thursday that the man was actually gone for only one day, but he and his mother maintained the deception for eight years by assuming false identities.

Houston police detectives stated that no charges have been filed against Janie Santana and her son, Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, although the investigation remains ongoing. Further details regarding the direction of the case were not provided.

The revelation emerged a week after Farias was discovered by the police following a report of a person lying on the ground in front of a church in southeast Houston.

In the past, authorities had not disclosed where Farias had spent the last eight years since his disappearance at the age of 17 when he went for a walk with his two dogs near his family’s residence in northeast Houston and never returned. Now 25, he was hospitalized upon being found, and he, along with his mother, was interviewed by detectives on Wednesday.

“During the interview conducted yesterday, it was revealed that Rudy returned home the next day, on March 8, 2015,” said Lt. Christopher Zamora during a press conference. “His mother, Janie, continued to mislead the police by insisting that Rudy was still missing.”

After Farias was reported missing, extensive searches were conducted by the Houston police and Texas Equusearch, a civilian search and recovery team, but no success was achieved. However, his dogs were later discovered.

Over the years, there were several potential sightings of Farias, as reported by a private investigator hired by his mother a few months after his disappearance. One sighting in 2018 prompted a police response, but the case remained open as a missing person investigation.

Following the announcement that Farias had been found, Santana issued a statement stating that he was receiving the necessary care to overcome his trauma but was currently nonverbal and unable to communicate. She also requested privacy.

Santana could not be reached for immediate comment when contacted on Thursday.

Police Chief Troy Finner declined to address inquiries regarding the mental health of Farias and his mother, as well as their potential motivations. He mentioned that the investigation into the matter is in its early stages.

Furthermore, the police stated that patrol officers responded to a burglary call at the family’s residence on Wednesday night, which is now being incorporated into their investigation.

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