Activist Quanell X says Rudy Farias was sexually abused and drugged by mother for 8 years
Rudy Farias came to the attention of police after he was reported to be unresponsive near a church. Now there are more questions than answers.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Investigators with HPD's Missing Persons Unit interviewed Rudy Farias and his mother nearly a week after he was found outside an area church, and now, shocking new allegations are coming to light.
For the first time, ABC13 is hearing about where Farias says he has been for the last eight years. Investigators conducted their interviews in a hotel in Humble where activist Quanell X said Farias' mother called him to be there. After the interview, Quanell X discussed with reporters what he said Farias told him and an investigator.
The activist said Farias told him he had been sexually abused and heavily drugged by his mom for years.
"I never heard of a mother doing to a child what this woman did," Quanell X said. "That boy needs to go to the best drug rehab and best psychological, mental health facility we can find for him. He's a good kid. That kid was just severely abused."
The case came to light on Sunday when it was said that Farias was found safe after being reported missing eight years ago. At 17 years old, Farias' mother reported him missing, saying he never returned home from a walk with his dogs in 2015.
According to Quanell X, Farias told him he did run away in 2015, but he returned two days later. Farias reportedly told Quanell that his mother threatened that he would get into trouble with police if he said anything. So for the last eight years, Quanell said Farias claimed he wasn't allowed to leave the home where his mom would sexually abuse him.
"She convinced him that he was in trouble for initially running away and that law enforcement wanted to arrest him and put him in jail for running away," Quanell X said. "She had convinced him that all types of agencies were looking for him to put him in jail."
When asked why Farias , now a 25-year-old man wouldn't leave, Quanell explained that Farias told him his mother would give him drugs and he was afraid to go to the police.
Then, just a few weeks ago, Quanell says Farias had enough and wanted his mom to respect his boundaries, so he says he took her credit card and left. Police later found him at a church in Magnolia Park on Thursday.
"He said he just got tired of her not respecting his boundaries and he wanted his own life," Quanell X said. "His exact words were, 'I was tired of living like a slave.'"
We are waiting to hear from police about what was revealed during that conversation. In a tweet, police said detectives are not in a position to discuss specifics or comment on whether the allegations being made public are factual.
Houston police said back in 2018, a family member called claiming Farias was living behind a relative's home but police never found him.
According to Quanell X, Farias told him that his mother would make him hide in the house anytime police came. Quanell X told ABC13 news that the young man was failed by law enforcement.
While he spent years not allowed to leave the home, recently, Quannell X said, Farias told him he went to work with his mother and was allowed to hang out with neighbors because his mother believed enough time had passed that no one would recognize him as a missing person.
We spoke to some of those neighbors on Tuesday. Kisha Ross, who lives on the same street, said she and her family were shocked to find out Farias was found because they never knew he was reported missing. Civil court records reveal his mother lives on the same street in northeast Houston.
"He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter," Ross said. "That boy has never been missing."
RELATED: 25-year-old reportedly found 8 years after going missing as a teen while walking dogs in NW Houston
The Texas Center for the Missing also tweeted over the weekend that Farias had been found and shared the following statement on behalf of the family:
"We want to thank the media and public for all their support. My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29, after being missing for eight years. Currently, we do not have any additional information on Rudy's case. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal."
The chief of the Houston Fire Department told ABC13 that Farias refused to be transported by ambulance, which his mother signed off on, and he was left in his family's care.
Farias' mother shared pictures with Eyewitness News, claiming she brought her son to the hospital. She spoke to ABC13's Brooke Taylor over the phone and told her she believed her son was beaten and abused and someone kidnapped him all these years.
RELATED: Man found alive 8 years after going missing was spotted by family in 2018, Houston police say
Another neighbor, who wanted to stay anonymous fearing his safety, said he's seen him living at his mother's home for years.
"I was just shocked someone over here was missing, and we see him," he said. "It's shocking to everyone."
At the time of Farias' disappearance, his mother told officials that he suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder since his brother died in a motorcycle accident in 2011, something neighbors say he spoke about.
"He said he had lost a brother in a motorcycle accident," Ross said. "I know when he was thinking about his brother, he wouldn't come to hang out; he would go and sit there in the back in the woods by himself."'
On Tuesday, ABC13's Brooke Taylor spoke to Farias' mother in person outside her home. She did not want to go on camera but claimed the man her neighbors have spent time with and seen living with her is her nephew. She shared a picture of him, but neighbors say that's not him. Now, they're trying to wrap their heads around why either of them would say he's missing.
"I do not know. That's what I have been trying to figure out all day," Ross said. "I am confused right now. I am like, 'What's going on?'"
For updates on this story, follow Brooke Taylor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Source: KTRK-TV
