Farias' mother Janie Santana was banned from GoFundMe last week
The cousin of Houston man Rudy Farias, who was reported missing as a teenager only to turn up eight years later outside a church, has accused his mother of abusing him for years, according to a report.
In an interview with FOX7 Austin, Farias' cousin Michelle Rodriguez accused the Houston Police Department of a "cover up."
"They are covering up what they knew years ago, and they didn't want to come out," Rodriguez told the news site.
Farias' mother, Janie Santana, reported him missing March 7, 2015, when he was 17, and his stunning reappearance June 29 was initially hailed as a "miracle."
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Texas man Rudy Farias, now 25, was reported missing in 2015 by his mom, Janie Santana, right. But the Houston Police Department says he returned home the next day, and his mother allegedly lied about his whereabouts for eight years. (TexasEquuSearch/Courtesy of Houston Chronicle via AP/ FOX26)
But police revealed at a press conference Thursday that Farias was never actually missing.
He returned home one day after his mother made the report, but Santana continued to actively deceive law enforcement and the public, Lt. Christopher Zamora told reporters.
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During contacts with police, Santana and Farias gave "fictitious names and dates of birth," Zamora added.
Police were also quick to deny activist Quanell X's claim that Farias, in the presence of a detective, reported that he had been sexually abused by his mother for years.
"That detective heard every word that Rudy said about being violated in the shower, about his mother making him play husband and calling him daddy," Quanell X said.
Rodriguez told FOX7 that the alleged abuse began before the missing person hoax.
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"Prior to Rudy’s disappearance, his so-called disappearance, his mother had been seen by my late grandma causing abuse to Rudy sexually, physically, mentally. This did not just start when Janie reported Rudy missing," Rodriguez said.
Santana had raised money to search for Farias, who she claimed had been kidnapped by Mexican traffickers, only to allegedly use the funds for vacations and personal expenses, according to Quanell X.
Police Chief Troy Finner speaks at a news conference, Thursday, July 6, 2023, in Houston, as he provides an update on the Rudy Farias case. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
"Janie needs to be brought in," said Rodriguez. "It’s all going to come out, you can't hide, nothing is going to be hidden, so whatever you think you can hide, good luck it’s coming out."
Police said the district attorney declined to charge Santana for the fake reports, but the investigation is ongoing.
"We’re upset that (authorities) are not going to do anything," Pauline Sanchez Rodriguez, Farias’ aunt, told reporters after the news conference.
Sanchez Rodriguez said her late mother, Rosa Sosa Rodriguez, had been living with Santana and repeatedly told relatives that Farias was at their house.
Community activist Quanell X accompanies Rudy Farias, 25, from a hotel after he was interviewed by police. (FOX26)
"My mom would always tell me, ‘Rudy is here... He’s there. He’s in that room,’" Sanchez Rodriguez said. "And Janie said, ‘No she’s lying, she’s losing it.’"
Court records suggest that Santana had a troubled relationship with the truth.
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Her 2012 marriage was annulled by a judge after she was accused of having at least five other spouses.
Sanchez Rodriguez called her sister a "pathological liar." Farias is no longer living with his mother, she told the Houston Chronicle
Rudy Farias’ aunts, from left, Sylvia Sanchez Lopez, Pauline Sanchez Rodriguez and Michelle Sanchez speak outside Houston Police headquarters after Chief Troy Finner gave an update on the case, Thursday, July 6, 2023. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Santana raked in $2,000 in donations on GoFundMe to purportedly help search for her missing son.
In a statement, a GoFundMe.com spokesperson said she had been permanently banned from the site.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rebecca Rosenberg is a veteran journalist and book author with a focus on crime and criminal justice. Email tips to
