A Houston man, named Rudy Farias IV, who was believed to have been gone for more than eight years, according to the police, actually returned home a few days after he was first reported missing in 2015.

Rudy Farias IV is the son of Janie Santana. During the investigation, police discovered that both Farias and his mother had provided false names and identification multiple times when interacting with officers. Detective Christopher Zamora said that Santana had misled the police by insisting that Farias was still missing.

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Who is Janie Santana?

Janie Santana is the mother of Rudy Farias IV, who falsely went missing for more than eight years. She is a resident of Houston. 

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Rudy Farias IV, 25, and his mother, Janie Santana, were questioned separately by Houston police officers, who came to the conclusion that Farias had only been away for a short period of time when he was a teenager. The investigation is still ongoing, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, and as of right now, no charges have been brought against Farias or Santana by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

HPD detective Christopher Zamora in a statement said, “It is a criminal offense to give false names (to police). There were instances when he did that, and his mother. At this time, our DA has declined to accept charges until our investigation is complete.”

While responding to the case, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Farias was safe and with his mother Janie Santana by choice. He added, “I’m not going to say he’s a victim or not. We’re going to give respect to everybody that’s involved. We’re going to conduct our investigation. We’re kind of right at the beginning of it.”

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In March 2015, Farias’ mother filed a missing persons report when he failed to return from a stroll with the family’s two dogs. Up until last Thursday, June 29, when Farias was discovered outside a church near Avenue L and 76th Street, according to the Houston Police Department, authorities had thought he was missing.