A crowdfunding campaign was launched in 2015 to support the search for Rudy Farias, a Houston man who had been reported missing. Surprisingly, the campaign raised over $2,000, despite the fact that Farias was actually not missing at the time. Authorities released this information on Thursday, shedding light on the situation.
The GoFundMe account, created on March 22, 2015, received contributions from more than 30 people. Farias had initially been reported missing on March 7, after allegedly disappearing while walking two dogs in his Houston neighborhood.
During a news conference on Thursday, police revealed that Farias had returned home on March 8, 2015. This contradicted his mother’s recent statement that he was only found last week after being missing for eight years. The revelation raised questions about the ongoing search efforts for Farias and his mother’s alleged deception. However, the police clarified that they have not pursued false report charges against Farias or his mother, Janie Santana, but their investigation is still ongoing. Santana herself has not yet publicly addressed the matter.
HuffPost reached out to Santana but was unable to make contact on Thursday. GoFundMe confirmed that they had taken down the fundraiser in response to HuffPost’s inquiries. They also stated that they had raised money on Santana’s behalf. A spokesperson for the crowdfunding platform emphasized their zero tolerance for the misuse of their platform and their cooperation with law enforcement investigations.
The archived version of the fundraising page explained that the money raised would be used to offer a reward for information about Farias, support the search, and provide financial assistance to Santana. The creator of the campaign did not respond to HuffPost’s questions.
The police revealed that both Farias and his mother had given false names to the police multiple times over the past eight years. Zamora, a Houston police lieutenant, explained that Santana had even falsely identified Farias as her nephew to people who had seen him. He stated that Janie had remained insistent to the police that Rudy was still missing, continuing her deception.
Meanwhile, extended family members and a local activist accused the police of covering up details about the case and alleged that Farias had been abused by his mother. Detective Sgt. Jimenez responded to these concerns by stating that during his interviews with Farias, he did not mention anything about abuse. He further clarified that he listened for probable cause and statements that could help with the case. So far, no such statements had been made.
In a statement released by the Texas Center for the Missing, Santana claimed that her son had been found outside a Houston church, injured and unresponsive. She expressed gratitude towards the media and the public for their support and shared that Rudy was receiving the necessary care to recover from his trauma. However, at that time, he was nonverbal and unable to communicate. Santana requested privacy during this difficult time and promised to provide more details as Rudy continues to heal.
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