Rudy Farias Timeline: From Missing Report to Janie Santana Accusation

Mystery still shrouds the case of a 25-year-old Texas man who was found after missing for eight years.

Rudy Farias IV was 17 years old when he disappeared in northwest Houston. He was found on June 29 with severe injuries after being missing since 2015.

The unnerving story has captured the interest of internet sleuths and concerned citizens. The case took a disturbing turn when neighbors alleged that Farias had never been missing and was living with his mother the entire time. The case became even darker and more mysterious after Farias allegedly told investigators that his mother, Janie Santana, had been keeping him captive, but Houston police haven't confirmed that information.

Santana has not been arrested or charged with any offense. Newsweek has sought to contact her for comment through the Texas Center for the Missing, which was handling public communications on behalf of the family.

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

Rudy Farias Timeline

2011: Farias' brother is killed

In 2011, Farias' brother tragically died in a motorcycle accident.

Brenda Paradise, a private investigator working for the Farias family, told NBC's Dateline in 2015 that Rudy and his mother were the first at the scene of the accident.

"He watched his best friend die right in front of him. His brother was his best friend in the world. He's just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should," Paradise said.

Family members claimed at the time of his disappearance that Rudy had been suffering from depression for months as a result of losing his brother. A missing flier from 2015 stated that Rudy had been diagnosed with depression, PTSD and anxiety and had likely stopped taking his medication prior to his disappearance.

2014: Father dies by suicide

Only three years later, his father, Rudolph Farias III, died by suicide in 2014. Rudolph Farias III was allegedly a subject of an internal affairs investigation at the time of his death, according to a report by Insider.

As reported by KHOU at the time, an investigation of speeding tickets written by the Houston Police Traffic Enforcement Unit found dozens of cases in which officers, allegedly including Rudolph Farias III, were citing speeding tickets in two places at once several miles apart.

2015: Farias disappears

On March 6, 2015, Farias was walking two dogs near Tidwell and Park Drive in northwest Houston.

His mother Janie Santana reported that Farias was missing after she became concerned when the dogs returned home without Farias.

2018: Farias is seen

In 2018, the Houston Police Department received a call from Farias' cousin Cassandra Lopez after family members spotted Farias at Santana's home, according to a report by Click 2 Houston. When officers investigated, they couldn't find the boy.

June 29, 2023: Farias is found

On June 29 of this year, Farias was found lying on the ground in front of a Houston church. He was unresponsive, and a concerned citizen called the police.

Farias was taken to a hospital where he spent time recovering from severe injuries that included cuts and bruises covering his body. He also had blood in his hair and was non-communicative, according to a statement from Santana. Santana added that she felt her son had been abused and beaten.

July 5, 2023: Allegations against Janie Santana

On July 5, neighbors told ABC13 that they were shocked to learn that Farias had been missing for eight years because they had seen him regularly. They alleged that Farias even spent time with their family members and that Farias had been living with his mother the entire time. They knew him as Dolph, a shortened version of his given name, Rudolph.

Santana disputed the claims and said the neighbors were confused and that the man they spent time with was her nephew and not her son.

However, when Santana shared photos of her nephew, the neighbors said that wasn't the man they knew.

The case became even more unsettling when Farias told investigators that his mother had been the one keeping him captive. A community activist named Quanell X was present when detectives questioned Farias and Santana and shared some of the horrifying details that Farias described, which included physical and sexual abuse, as well as repeatedly being drugged and held captive.