houston said the police on Wednesday launched an investigation into the alleged disappearance, and discovery, of a 25-year-old man who had reportedly been gone for eight years.
It was widely reported over the weekend that Rudy Farias was “safely located” in Houston after a year-long search.
But at least one neighbor insists that Farias was never missing and had been living with his mother on her block. The account was backed up by a community activist who said he was with Farias when he met with Houston police detectives Wednesday.
“This young man said that when he initially ran away, he came back two days later,” the activist, Quanell X, said at a news conference after meeting with detectives.
The activist added that Farias’ mother, Janie Santana, was present during part of the meeting. Efforts to reach her for comment were unsuccessful Wednesday night.
Houston police confirmed the meeting, but said in a statement that detectives could not discuss the details or say whether the allegations were accurate.
Authorities planned to discuss the case further on Thursday, the police department said.
A police spokesman said earlier that investigators were meeting with the family to determine “what really happened.”
“We are trying to get to the bottom of what happened,” the spokesman, Victor Senties, said.
Senties declined to say whether Farias had ever been reported missing to Houston police or any other Texas law enforcement agency.
Melissa Rangel, case manager at the Texas Center for the MissingHe said he was aware of reports questioning whether the young man had really been missing for eight years, Rangel said. “Right now, all we’re focusing on with Rudy is Rudy coming home.”
He declined to discuss the case further after Quanell X’s press conference.
Neighbor Kisha Ross, 44, a delivery driver, insisted that Farias has been living two doors down from her with her mother.
“She’s been staying with her mom since I moved to Houston” eight months ago, Ross said. “His mom of hers has been making him go to work with her at 7pm, and she wouldn’t let him out of work. She wouldn’t let him do anything. He made him stay up under her at all times.”
Farias is a regular visitor to her home, Ross said, to socialize with her son, daughter and cousin.
“That kid hasn’t been missing in eight years,” Ross said of the young man known as “Dolph” to her and her family. “It’s two houses down from me. That boy comes to my house. He’s been in my living room.”
Farias was found Thursday at a church about 8 miles from his family’s home, according to an investigator with Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit search and rescue service, which helped search for Farias.
He did not speak and could not communicate, his mother said in a statement, adding that a good Samaritan discovered him and immediately called authorities.
