(NewsNation) — Houston police are now investigating the circumstances of a man reported missing eight years ago who may have never been missing at all.
Rudy Farias was reported missing in 2015 when he was just 17. His mother, Janie Santana, said he never returned home after walking his dogs. Last week, Farias was found outside a church in Houston with cuts and bruises.
The story was reported as miraculous, with Santana telling reporters her son was non-verbal and believed he had been abused.
Shortly after Farias was discovered, however, neighbors and friends began to come forward to say the man was never missing at all. They reported Farias was regularly seen at his home and in the neighborhood, though his mother continued to raise funds to search for him.
On Wednesday, activist Quanell X claimed Farias had been held captive by Santana and that he had been kept heavily drugged and was sexually abused by her.
Houston police confirmed that Farias had not actually been missing for the past eight years and had returned home the day after his supposed disappearance. Since that day, Farias actually had contact with Houston Police Department officers, though both he and Santana used fake names and birth dates when interacting with police.
Officials visiting the family’s home and interviewing friends, relatives and neighbors were also given false names regarding Farias.
Police said at present, the district attorney was not pressing charges related to making false reports or failing to properly identify themselves.
Officers said there was no disclosure of sexual assault during their interview with Farias, though when asked if Farias mentioned a sexual relationship with his mother, police said they do not release any information on sexual assault cases.
Authorities also declined to say whether Farias was a victim or accomplice in deceiving police, though they did say referrals had been made to adult protective services and victims services. Officers would also not comment on whether Farias or Santana suffered from mental illness.
Officers stressed that there is an ongoing investigation into what happened during the eight years that Farias was reportedly missing and that they would follow the evidence to determine what, if any, charges would be appropriate.