What did Janie Santana do? Missing Rudy Farias' mother arrested over abuse allegations

As reported previously on Sportskeeda, on Sunday, July 2, 2023, authorities discovered missing Texas high school student Rudy Farias 8-years after his disappearance.

In a shocking twist in the case, Houston officers claimed that Farias had never actually been missing. Investigators believe that his mother, Janie Santana, had confined him to his home and abused him for nearly a decade.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a child abuse investigation, the reader's discretion is advised.

On July 2, a now 25-year-old Rudy Farias was reportedly found in a local Church. Officers claimed that he fled to the Church after running away from him. Officers allege that Janie abused him both physically and mentally, and supposedly forced him to take hallucinogenic mushrooms as a part of the cruel treatment. The case currently remains under investigation by Houston authorities.

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The timeline of Rudy Farias' alleged abuse

As reported by The Independent, Rudy Farias was initially reported missing after he ran away from home in 2015. At the time, officers noted that the then 17-year-old had a history of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.

While Janie Santana maintained for years that she did not know her son's location, authorities said that he returned shortly after he initially ran away. However, Santana reportedly threatened him and kept him in the home. Investigators said that she told the teen that if he was found, he would be arrested by police officers.

Quanell X, a local counsellor, explained his account of the events.

X said:

“So (Julie Santana) brought (Rudy Farias) 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.’”

Farias reportedly told X that his mother forced him to do housework, and treated him like a 'slave'.

X continued:

“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.”

Prior to his disappearance, several samaritans had reported that Farias had been seen in the area. Houston authorities have not confirmed the allegations of abuse. In a press release, they told reporters that the case is still in its early stages, and currently remains under police investigation. At the time Farias was discovered, he had to be hospitalized for various scrapes and bruises across his body. The source of the injuries still remain unknown.

Janie Santana has not commented on the accusations.