Who are Rudy Farias' parents? Family explored as chilling details emerge in missing Texas high school student’s disappearance

Rudy Farias' case continues to make national headlines days after the now 25-year-old man from Texas was reunited with his family eight years after he disappeared. Rudy Farias, a then 17-year-old Texas high school student, was reported missing by his mother, Janie Santana, on March 6, 2015, after he vanished while walking his two dogs.

While the dogs were located Farias was not found despite the efforts of the police and local volunteers. Eight years later, on June 29, 2023, Farias was found outside a church by a local who called 911. Shortly after, his mother, Janie Santana, told multiple reporters that her son was found abused and beaten. She further revealed that he was unable to communicate.

At the time, the Houston Police Department noted that they don't believe any foul play was involved in the incident. However, they were investigating the mystery surrounding his disappearance.

On Wednesday, a community activist Quanell X, who interviewed Farias alongside Houston Police Department officers, alleged that his mother, Janie Santana, kept her son hidden in their home and abused him for years. Authorities said that after they received concerning reports from neighbors, who alleged Rudy was never missing, they interviewed him without the presence of his mother.

During the interview, Farias supposedly revealed his mother s*xually and physically abused him for years and forced him to take hallucinogenic mushrooms, while she kept him hidden inside their home. After years of being abused at the hands of his mother, Farias reportedly stole a car and tried to flee his home. He shortly crashed near the church where he was found on June 29, 2023.

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Rudy Farias' father who was a police officer took his own life in 2014

Janie Santana (Image via Rudy Farias IV Discussion Group/Facebook)

As per multiple reports, Rudy Farias's life has been marred by tragedy after losing his father and brother in a short span of time. Rudy was born to parents Rodolfo Farias and Janie Farias, now Santana, on October 1, 1997.

According to Insider, Rudy’s dad, Rodolfo Farias, who was a police officer, committed suicide in 2014. Rodolfo, who served in the department for 21 years, was reportedly a subject of an internal affairs investigation at the time of his death. Rudy’s elder brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2011.

At the time of his disappearance in 2015, Rudy Farias's mother, Janie Santana, told KHOU that her son suffered from depression and mental health issues, stemming from multiple family tragedies. She also told reporters that authorities suspect Farias was abducted and sold into human trafficking.

However, recent reports reveal years of abuse suffered at the hands of a parent. On Wednesday, shortly after community leader Quanell X accused Rudy’s mother of abusing her son, his aunt Pauline Sanchez Rodriguez, who is Janie Santana’s step-sister, told KPRC 2 reporter Bryce Newberry that she never believed her nephew was missing.

The statement was echoed by a neighbor, Kisha Ross, who said that she saw Rudy Farias regularly despite his mother claiming he was missing.

“He never came into my garage with a sober mind. Never. Only thing he said to me was he didn’t want to be at home because his mom got on his nerves.”

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Janie Sanatan allegedly kept her son Rudy Farias subdued for years

Janie Santana (Image via (Image via Rudy Farias IV Discussion Group/Facebook)

Quanell X said that Rudy Farias had initially run away when he went missing in 2015. However, the then-teenager returned home just two days later. Rudy’s mother allegedly told him that he would have to go into hiding as he would be arrested if he tried to leave again.

“So she brought him back to the house and hid him in the home and initially whenever investigators would come, she would hide him in the house. He just kept saying, ‘I don’t want to go to jail.’”

Quanell revealed that Santana kept her son subdued for years with drugs and locked him in a room.

“She was giving him drugs. She was punishing him by locking him in a room over and over. She convinced him that law enforcement wanted to put him in jail, that law enforcement was looking for him because he ran away and that because he ran away, he was going to go to prison.”

Authorities, who are still investigating the incident, have yet to make an arrest in the case. Meanwhile, Janie Santana has not responded to the allegations.