What We Know About The Alleged 8-Year Disappearance Of Rudy Farias In Texas

Janie Santana, a Houston mother, told reporters last weekend that her son had been found outside of a church just eight miles from their home after disappearing while walking their dogs as a teenager in March of 2015.

She told Fox 26 on Wednesday that her son was kidnapped and taken to Mexico before he found his way home to Houston, a journey that could be anywhere from 350 to 1,700 miles.

The story was widely reported as a miracle, with Santana peppering in details about her sons traumatic past, history of depression and recovery, and adding on Monday he was “receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us,” NBC reported.

Within days, Santana’s neighbors spoke with local outlet KTRK to say Farias had been living with his mother for years and spending time with others in the neighborhood.

Quanell X, a Houston activist and former member of the People’s New Black Panther Party, on Wednesday told reporters Farias had actually been held captive by his mother while she abused and lied to him, including claims she forced her son to sleep in bed with her without clothes, would often lock him in a room, and gave him “hallucination drugs, mushrooms” and more.

Quanell X said it is true that Farias originally went missing while walking his dogs in 2015, but that when he came back two days later, his mother “told him told him he had to hide” and that he would get in trouble with police for running away, and claiming that Farias’s mother let him visit neighbors under the assumed name “Dolph,” short for Randolph, and thought people would forget about the case of her missing son.

Houston police said Wednesday they’ve launched an investigation into the Farias case but added in a statement that detectives are unable to discuss specifics or say whether the allegations are true, according to NBC.