Hospital Photos Are From 2012, Aunt Says

Photos circulating among Houston media outlets that allegedly show Rudy Farias receiving care in a hospital are years old, members of Farias' extended family told reporters Thursday.

Janie Santana, Farias' mother, provided local reporters with the photos, which she told them were taken recently. The photos showed Farias in a hospital after he was discovered "unresponsive" outside a Houston church on June 29, according to Santana. Farias reportedly had cuts, bruises and burns on his skin when he was found, which was more than eight years after his mother reported him missing.

But Farias' aunts are disputing Santana's claims that the photos were taken in the last week.

"Rudy was not in the hospital. The pictures that Janie had been posting and giving to the media and everybody are pictures from 2012, when Rudy was hospitalized," one aunt, who was not identified by name, told KHOU-TV. "They are not from this past week. They are not recent pictures."

Farias' aunts also disputed comments by Houston police, who said Farias is now "safe" and with his mother "by choice." Police said Farias has not accused his mother of abusing him in interviews with investigators, despite reports that he may have been held captive by his mother and sexually abused during the time he was believed to be missing. Farias' aunts said they believe it is possible the allegations are true.

One aunt also told reporters Farias is not currently with Santana, but with one of her friends.

"The chief of police said that Rudy is with his mother? He needs to get the facts straight," the aunt said. "Rudy is not with his mother. He is with this other friend, who has known, and had Rudy in her possession."

911 Call Sparked Police Visit to Home in 2018

Police visited Rudy Farias' home in 2018 after receiving a 911 call from a concerned family member.

By 2018, Farias had already been missing for three years. Allegations have since emerged that his mother Janie Santana had kept him captive for those eight years—and abused him.

Houston Police Department has not confirmed those allegations, however, and the district attorney has declined to charge Santana, police said in a press conference on Thursday.

Since Farias was found outside the church, members of his extended family have admitted they were concerned that he hadn't actually gone missing but was being held.

In 2018, his cousin Cassandra Lopez called 911 after family members saw Farias at his mother's home, according to a report by Click 2 Houston. Lopez also said their grandmother had confessed that she spoke with Farias frequently and that he would check up on her.

Police responded to the call but when they visited the home, they couldn't find Farias.

He was reportedly spotted several other times in the neighborhood during the eight years he was believed to be missing. Earlier this week, neighbors told reporters that he had never been missing and was living with his mother the entire time. Click below for Newsweek's full story.

Aunt Calls Rudy's Mother a 'Liar'

Rudy Farias' mother, Janie Santana, is a "liar" and "manipulative," one of Farias' aunts told reporters.

Pauline Sanchez Rodriguez, identified by local media outlets as Santana's stepsister, appeared beside other members of Farias' family outside the Houston Police Department (HPD) following a police press conference Thursday morning. Santana was married to a police officer who died by suicide in 2014 and thus "knows a lot of people" in the department, Sanchez Rodriguez said.

"Janie is a hypothetical liar, manipulative. She knows a lot of people in the HPD, so I'm going to have to say—I'm not quite sure—but I'm going to have to say she knows a lot of people in HPD, and that's why her freaking a** has been covered up," Sanchez Rodriguez said.

Sanchez Rodriguez and other members of Farias' extended family told reporters "there should be charges" filed in Farias' case. Investigators said earlier Thursday that the local district attorney has so far declined to file charges, but that their investigation is ongoing.

Sanchez Rodriguez told reporters she saw Santana in handcuffs on Wednesday, the day police said they interviewed Santana and Farias. The interviews occurred nearly a week after Farias was found outside a church in Houston, and more than eight years after Santana reported him missing in 2015.

"Why in the freaking world did they let her go while she was in handcuffs?" Sanchez Rodriguez said.

Police Searched Home 'Several Times'

Houston police searched the home where Rudy Farias lived "several times" after he was reported missing in 2015, Lieutenant Christopher Zamora told reporters.

Zamora did not say whether police had ever spotted Farias at the house.

There was no need to ever serve a search warrant at the home Farias lived with his mother, Janie Santana, because "being missing is not a crime," Zamora said. After Farias was found last week, Zamora said investigators have spoken with both him and his mother. Zamora would not comment on whether police have been to the house since Farias was found, citing the ongoing investigation into the case.

Farias is now "safe" and back with his mother "by choice," Zamora said.

The district attorney's office so far has declined to press charges in the case, but charges could be brought as the investigation develops.

"It is a criminal offense to give false names when you're detained, under arrest or making a valid police report. There was an incident where he did that—him and his mother," Zamora said. "At this time though, the district attorney has declined to accept charges on that, until our investigation has been complete."

Santana could also face charges for never informing police that her son had returned home after filing the initial missing persons report, Zamora said. "That offense is a Class C misdemeanor, which is similar to a traffic citation," he added.

Police Call Rudy a 'Potential Victim'

Houston police are referring to Rudy Farias as a "potential victim" as their investigation into his alleged disappearance continues.

Police said Farias "so far" has made no abuse allegations to investigators. Their investigation into Farias' case is ongoing.

The statements by Houston police appear to dispute comments made by activist Quanell X earlier this week. Quanell X said he has spoken with Faris since the 25-year-old was reported missing in 2015. Quanell reported learning "horrific things" about the eight years since Farias' mother, Janie Santana, filed a missing persons report for her son, including that she allegedly held Farias captive, drugged and sexually abused him.

For now, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said investigators are treating Farias as a "potential victim."

"I'm not going to say he's a victim or not," Finner said during a Thursday morning press conference. "We're going to treat this just as we do with any potential victim or victim, and we're going to give respect to everybody that's involved."

More Questions Than Answers

There are more questions than answers following this morning's police briefing. Why did Rudy Farias' mother not inform police that her son was, in fact, at home and not missing for eight years? Then continue to claim people were seeing her "nephew" and not Rudy?

When asked by a reporter about why Farias isn't being separated amid the ongoing investigation – referring to cases of other people being "brainwashed" and being held against their will – Houston Police Chief Troy Finner answered Farias is a "grown man." Farias is now 25-years-old and police said he is "safe" with his mother while the investigation continues.

Newsweek has gone through the timeline of Farias' disappearance, his discovery and the unsettling allegations against his mother.

Timeline:

• 2011: Farias' brother is killed
• 2014: Father dies by suicide
• 2015: Farias disappears
  - As of today, police reveal that Farias' mother filed a missing persons report on March 7, 2015, and Rudy returned home the next day-- March 8.
• 2018: Farias is seen
• June 29, 2023: Farias is found
• July 5, 2023: Allegations against Janie Santana

Mother Maintained People Saw Her 'Nephew,' Not Rudy

Rudy Farias' mother "remained adamant" in telling police her son was gone even though he returned home the day after she reported him missing, Lieutenant Christopher Zamora of the Houston Police Department told reporters.

The mother, Janie Santana, identified Farias as her nephew to people who asked, the lieutenant said.

"She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family were seeing coming and going," Zamora said. "However, we disputed that."

Zamora said both Santana and Farias gave "fictitious names" and birth dates while interacting with patrol officers through the years.

Farias Returned Home the Day After He Was Reported Missing, Police

Rudy Farias returned home on March 8, 2015, the day after his mother filed a missing persons report, Houston Police Lt. Christopher Zamora said during a Thursday press conference.

However, his mother kept "deceiving" police that her son was missing, Zamora said; Farias has remained a "missing person" for eight years.

Farias had previous contact with police, but gave fictitious names and date of births, Zamora said. In response to claims of sexual abuse, Zamora said there was no reports of sexual abuse made by Rudy Farias during police interviews.

At this time, the district attorney has declined to charge Rudy Farias' mother.

Watch: Houston Police Press Conference

Houston police are preparing to provide an update on the case momentarily.

The briefing comes after detectives interviewed 25-year-old Rudy Farias and his mother yesterday.

Watch live here:

Family Explains How Rudy Was Found

Rudy Farias' mother, Janie Santana, shed light on how her son was found in a statement shared with local media over the weekend.

More than eight years after Farias disappeared, Santana said a good Samaritan found Farias "unresponsive" on June 29 and "immediately called police and 911." Police have said Farias was discovered in front of a church in Houston, the city in which he lived before disappearing at age 17 while walking his dogs.

Farias is currently receiving care to "overcome his trauma" but is currently "nonverbal and not able to communicate with us," Santana's statement continued. She added the family does not have more information about his case.

A reporter with KPRC-TV shared Santana's statement on Facebook. Santana also spoke with the station and told them her son was in "bad shape." He was found with bruises, scrapes and burns on his body, and blood was found in his hair, according to Santana, who shared photos of Farias with the station and said she thinks he may have been abused.

Activist Quanell X Claims Farias Was Held Captive by Mother

Community activist Quanell X spoke about the disappearance of Rudy Farias this week and alleged that the 25-year-old was held captive by his mother for the past eight years and "severely abused."

"I heard horrific things from that young man," Quanell X told reporters this week. "No child should ever be treated like that by your own mother."

Quanell X also said that Farias had scars on his body when he was found safely last week. "He said that she often locked him in the room, that she would give him drugs and lock him in the room," Quanell X said.

In 2015, Farias was reported missing by his mother, Janie Santana when he was 17 years old.

Police have not confirmed any of the claims made by Quanell X but they are expected to hold a press conference today to provide more information on the case and interviews with both Farias and his mother.

Farias' Mother Expects to be Arrested

The mother of Rudy Farias, Janie Santana, said on Wednesday that she expects to be arrested after her son, who was missing since 2015, was found.

In a video posted to Twitter by KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel, Santana is seen speaking with neighbors and heard saying "now they want to arrest me because they said I was hiding him."

Santana reported that her son was missing in 2015 and claims that he was kidnapped, but some have disputed these claims, accusing her of holding her son captive.

The Houston Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that they interviewed Farias and his mother, but did not release any information on their discussion.

Neighbor of Rudy Farias Says He Was 'Never' Missing

A neighbor of Rudy Farias, the 25-year-old that was recently found after disappearing in 2015, say that he was "never" actually missing.

"He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son and daughter. That boy has never been missing," Kisha Ross, who lives in the same neighborhood as Farias's mother, told KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas.

Farias was reported missing by his mother Janie Santana in 2015 when he was 17 years old. The Houston Police Department said that he was found safely last week.

In addition to Ross, community activist Quanell X, has also disputed the mother's claims that her son was missing. Instead, Quanell X said this week that Farias was being held captive by his mother.

Private Investigator Says "There's Something Dark' About Rudy Farias Discovery

A former private investigator that worked on searching for Rudy Farias in 2015 recently spoke out about his discovery.

"Something doesn't add up," Brenda Paradise, a former private investigator that was hired by Farias's family in 2015, told Insider on Thursday. "There's something dark and dirty here."

In 2015, Farias was reported missing after he disappeared while walking two dogs in Houston, Texas. This week, the Houston Police Department announced that Farias was found on June 29 "outside a church on 76th St. at Ave. L."

Following his discovery, some community members and neighbors have spoken out, disputing claims by his mother, Janie Santana, that her son went missing. Community activist Quanell X told reporters this week that Farias was being held captive by his mother for the past eight years.

"That young man's body have scars all over it... all type of scars on this kid and he said that she often locked him in the room, that she would give him drugs and lock him in the room," Quanell X said.

The Houston Police Department have not released any further information verifying the claims made by Quanell X, but they are expected to hold a press conference today after speaking with both Farias and his mother.

"I would love to hear that he's truly been missing all these years, and has finally been found," Paradise told Insider. "But I just don't trust anything that comes from that family."

Press Conference Happening Soon

Houston police are scheduled to hold a press conference in about two hours to discuss the case after interviewing Rudy Farias and his mother.

"While there are reports of some of the content of the interviews being released, our detectives are not in a position at this time to discuss specifics of the interviews of if the content being released is entirely factual," the department tweeted yesterday, saying more details will be released today.

Houston police are expected to brief the media at 11 a.m. CDT. You can watch live on the department's social media platforms and follow Newsweek's live blog here for the latest updates.