HOUSTON – New alleged details are coming out in the strange disappearance of Rudy Farias, a now 25-year-old man who was reported missing in 2015.
Days after he was discovered outside a Houston church, some questions are being answered, while many more are emerging.
At a hotel near Bush Intercontinental Airport, Farias and his mother met with Houston Police Department detectives, as well as community activist Quanell X.
After Wednesday’s meeting, Quanell was seen walking out of the hotel with Farias, who was partially covered under a blanket. The pair sat in the activist’s vehicle and seemingly had a short conversation, then got out and went back inside the hotel.
Quanell came back out front to discuss with the media what he said Farias told him and a detective. Due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, KPRC 2 has decided not to disclose certain details.
“I heard horrific things from that young man and I did not want him to see me start shedding tears, but I couldn’t hold back the tears because of the things he was saying to us, the detective and myself,” Quanell said. “No child, no child should ever be treated like that by your own mother.”
Quanell said that Farias was allegedly with his mother the entire time, but was basically removed from society.
“This young man said that when he initially ran away, he came back two days later and she told him that he had to hide, that he was going to get in trouble and they were going to arrest him for running away and that he had to continue hiding,” Quanell shared. “So she hid him out for a while then brought him back to the house and hid him in the home and, initially, whenever the investigators would come, she would hide him in the house.”
According to Quanell, Farias would not speak in front of his mother.
“They took her to another room and kept her there for a minute after he confided in us what was said,” Quanell explained. “When she was in the room, he wouldn’t say nothing.”
Quanell alleged that after Farias’ mother was removed, he began telling them about his whereabouts in the past eight years.
According to Quanell, Farias was “hidden in plain sight,” based on the information they heard. He claims Farias said that his mother would take him to work at her security job and force him to do the work she was supposed to do.
According to Quanell, Farias was allowed to visit with a few neighbors under a different name.
The activist claimed that when Farias was found, he had his mother’s credit card in his pocket.
“I knew something was wrong with the story when she was questioned,” Quanell said. “When they found him, he had her credit card in his pocket. She just canceled that credit card two and a half years ago. So, if he’s been missing for eight years, how the hell he get your credit card in his pocket when they found him, from two and a half years ago?”
HPD released a statement Wednesday, saying detectives are not in a position at this time to discuss “specifics” of the case.
“No other information is being released before the news conference,” the statement said.
UPDATE: Statement on missing persons investigation: https://t.co/gCwpJCkYxP pic.twitter.com/ivOf4fNG2F
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 5, 2023
Finding Farias
Farias, who was 17 at the time of his disappearance, was reportedly spotted by good Samaritans at a church located at 76th St. at Ave. L. at around 10 a.m. on June 29. After authorities were called to the scene, they confirmed it was him.
Rudy’s mother told KPRC 2′s Corley Peel he was in “bad shape,” physically and mentally when he was found. He reportedly had several bruises, burns and scrapes on his body.
At the time of Rudy’s disappearance, investigators said they did not suspect foul play.
Who is Quanell X?
Quanell X is an outspoken public figure in the Houston community. Commonly referred to as a “community activist,” he is often in the center of many controversial cases, dealing with a number of issues from race, to crime, to politics.
He is the person that many “wanted” people reach out to before turning themselves in to police, with Quanell right by their side.
He has been involved in high-profile cases, including those involving the police beating of Chad Holley, the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., the domestic violence murder of Texas A&M University student Tynesha Stewart, and countless others. He is credited with getting a confession from Timothy Wayne Shepherd, who killed Stewart and burned her body.
As the chairman of the New Black Panther Nation, Quanell X has led many protests fighting for what he calls injustices against the people he serves, and is known for his bold, headline-grabbing statements.
Born Quanell Ralph Evans in Los Angeles, California, his mother and father were members of the Nation of Islam. After his parents divorced, Evans moved to Houston where he lived with his grandmother, mother and younger brother in the South Acres neighborhood, where he attended Worthing High School.
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