Texas Man Reported Missing in 2015 Returns Home the Following Day, Police Reveal

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According to Houston police, a man from Texas who was reported missing as a teenager in 2015 actually returned home the very next day. However, he and his mother, Janie Santana, misled authorities by providing false identities for the following eight years. On Thursday, the police disclosed that prosecutors have chosen not to press charges against Santana and her son, Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, for filing a false report, but the investigation is ongoing.

This announcement follows last week’s incident when Farias was discovered by the police after receiving a call regarding a person found lying on the ground near a church in southeast Houston.

Until now, authorities had not disclosed where Farias, who is now 25 years old, had been during the eight years since he was reported missing. The disappearance occurred after he took his two dogs for a walk near his family’s residence in northeast Houston. After being found by the police last week, Farias was hospitalized, and he and his mother were interviewed by detectives on Wednesday.

“During the conversation with investigators yesterday, it was revealed that Rudy returned home the very next day on March 8, 2015,” stated Lt. Christopher Zamora during a press conference. “Janie, his mother, continued to deceive the police by persistently claiming that Rudy was still missing.”

Following Farias’ disappearance, the Houston police and Texas Equusearch, a search and recovery team, conducted extensive efforts to locate him but were unsuccessful, despite later finding his dogs.

Throughout the years, there were several reported sightings of Farias, as indicated by a private investigator hired by his mother a few months after his disappearance. One of these sightings, which occurred in 2018, prompted a response from the police. However, the case remained open as a missing person investigation.

Upon the police’s announcement of finding her son, Santana released a statement explaining that he is currently receiving the necessary care to overcome his trauma. However, she mentioned that he is nonverbal and unable to communicate with them at the moment.

When questioned about the mental health of Farias and his mother, Police Chief Troy Finner declined to comment on Thursday and refrained from discussing their motives. He stated that the investigation is still in its early stages.

Additionally, the police revealed that patrol officers responded to a burglary call at the family’s residence on Wednesday night, which has now become part of the ongoing investigation.

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More about missing person case

• Houston Police Department
• Texas Equusearch
• Missing Persons Database
• Houston Chronicle
• Texas Department of Public Safety