Rudy Farias Could Be Charged in His Own Disappearance

Randolph "Rudy" Farias IV and his mother, Janie Santana, could potentially be charged for providing police with fictitious names during a missing persons investigation, law enforcement officials from the Houston Police Department said Thursday.

Police unveiled new details after Farias, 25, was found bloodied and bruised outside a local church on June 29 after supposedly disappearing for an eight-year period. Houston Police Lieutenant Christopher Zamora said during the press conference that numerous tips, leads and evidence revealed that Farias, who was reported missing on March 7, 2015, was never missing at all and actually returned home the following day.

Farias, who was 17 years of age at the time, and his mother met with law enforcement on Wednesday to answer questions and provide further information. Multiple questions still remain after statements made by family members, friends and community activists have suggested that Santana abused him—potentially in a sexual manner.

"It is a criminal offense to give false names when you're detained, under arrest or you're making a valid police report," said Zamora, part of the department's homicide and missing persons unit. "There was an instance where he did that, and then his mother."

Investigators went to the Farias home multiple times, also speaking with family members, friends and neighbors about the situation. "And yes, they were given fictitious names," he added.

"The mother, Janie, continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing," Zamora said. "She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family would see coming and going. However, we disputed that."

Detective Sergeant Stephen Jimenez, who interviewed Farias yesterday, said that allegations of sexual abuse by Santana against her son could not be verified.

"You know, I'm trained to listen for probable cause," he said. "I'm trained to listen for statements that can help me get charges or move forward with a case. And no, there were no statements made during this investigation so far."

Zamora said Santana filed the missing person report on March 7, 2015, and could potentially face misdemeanor charges equivalent to a traffic citation.

At this juncture, the Harris County District Attorney's Office led by Kim Ogg has declined to pursue any charges related to fictitious names and fake reports pending a full investigation.

"As the detective said during the news conference, there was no probable cause at the time and we referred it for further investigation," a spokesperson from the office told Newsweek via email. "That investigation is ongoing. We don't comment on active investigations."

There was no urgency to investigate a recovered or found person, police added, due to law enforcement being aware of Farias' whereabouts due to various interactions with patrol officers.

"You can't force a potential victim, a missing person, to come in and make a missing statement," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said. "It takes time to get that statement."

He added that he wouldn't state whether Farias is a victim or not in this instance, and that "it is too early to determine" whether he suffers from mental illness.

Finner was asked numerous questions regarding police allowing Farias to return to his mother, who filed the report in the first place and has been questioned in the court of public opinion.

He replied that Farias is with his mother "by choice," that "he's a 25-year-old man."

Zamora added that Farias declined police-guided transportation to a hospital after he was located outside the church. He was taken by his mother.