TRANSCRIPTION OF PRESS CONFERENCE
6TH JULY
LIEUTENANT - Today, we're discussing facts related to 25 yr. old, Rudy Farius, who was reported missing on March 7, 2015. He was 17 yrs. old, when his mother reported him missing. During the 8 year timeframe where he was missing, investigators followed up on many tips, leads, collected evidence proving that Rudy was not missing during the 8 yr. period.
Many of these facts included: contacts and statements with relatives, friends, neighbours and medical professionals. Rudy was recently identified as having previous HPD interactions, meaning that he made contact with patrol officers out on the street. However, during these contacts, fictitious names and date of births were given, misleading officers, and Rudy would remain missing. In fact, both Janie, Rudy's mother and Rudy himself, gave fictitious names while interacting with various patrol officers. After investigators talked with him yesterday, it was discovered that Rudy returned home the following day on March 8, 2015. The mother Janie continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing. She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family we're seeing coming and going. However, we disputed that.
Currently, the DA has declined any charges, at this time, for making fictitious reports and failure to ID. Investigators have reached out to Adult Protective Services, HPD Victim Services has reached out. We've also connected Rudy with victim services to ensure that he has a method to recovery.
Now, based on Rudy's interview, there were no reports of sexual abuse reported. If there is a disclosure made we will continue to investigate. Currently the investigation is active and there are new leads coming in and we'll continue to follow those leads. We do take all allegations seriously and any new information or facts that we receive will be investigated.
REPORTER - Yesterday we heard from activist, Quanell X, and he made some shocking allegations that he was in the room with the detective and he heard from Rudy, first-hand. He said, that there were sexual abuse allegations and that he was drugged by his mother. From what you've just said today - Are you saying that the activist was lying?
CHIEF - Basically, what we're saying is our investigation is our investigation and we treat it the same. Our investigators were in the room and basically, you know, what they heard and what they interviewed, that's what we attest to and all offence reports and all investigations, and I'm not here, neither are they here, to question anybody's integrity. But our integrity with the Houston Police Department stands and we're going to report and put in offence reports what a victim or potential victim tells us.
REPORTER - Just to be clear - in that room the detective did not hear anything about sexual abuse allegations?
SERGEANT - Yes, I interviewed him and no, there was no... I'm trained to listen for probable cause, I'm trained to listen for statements that can help me get charges or move forward with a case. And no, there was no statements made during this investigation, so far, no.
REPORTER - You said there was no reports of sexual abuse - Is that correct, is that what you said?
LIEUTENANT - That is correct, coming from Rudy Farias.
REPORTER - Was there any conversations about a sexual relationship between the mother and son?
LIEUTENANT - So, we don't release any type of information related to sexual assault, that's just state law. I can't comment on that.
REPORTER - Is Rudy a victim then in all of this, or did he and his mother work together? I mean he wasn't missing.
CHIEF - The investigation is still going on and I'm not gonna say he's a victim or not. I'm thinking and saying that we're gonna treat this just as we do with any potential victim or victim and we're gonna give respect to everybody that's involved and we're gonna conduct our investigation. And we're kind of right at the beginning of it. This investigation is gonna go on after this press conference.
REPORTER - Will we see any charges?
CHIEF - If charges are appropriate, we'll see, but let us conduct the investigation, and what's next, just as any other investigation, we're gonna follow our evidence. We're gonna do more interviews and we're gonna follow the evidence and I think that's important.
REPORTER - Were there any signs of mental illness, that he might be mentally ill, or his mother might be mentally ill?
CHIEF - We're not gonna say that right now. We're going to conduct an investigation. It's really too early to determine that. There are gonna be more parts to the investigation and some of that may come into play, but right now, no.
REPORTER - So, just because there were some other allegations that he was being held prisoner, that he had been taken to Mexico - Is there any indication that that was true, or.... that would have been kidnapping, right?
SERGEANT - We don't have any information to say there was any kind of kidnapping or anything like that, right now.
REPORTER - How many search warrants have you served at the house?
LIEUTENANT - At the time he was reported missing, 8 yrs. ago - being missing is not a crime, so the detectives had no lawful means or probable cause to issue a search warrant for the residence, which was searched several times.
REPORTER - I heard you mention that there was no need for a search warrant when he was first reported missing. Inbetween yesterday and the day that he was discovered, was anything searched? was anybody questioned? did anybody go by the house?
LIEUTENANT - Rudy and his mother were interviewed yesterday. As far as anyone going to the house, it's still an active investigation and we can't release details pertaining to that.
REPORTER - For quick clarity - was he 17 at the time that he was missing?
LIEUTENANT - Yes sir. That's correct.
REPORTER - So, he's 25?
CHIEF - 25, yes.
REPORTER - Was there a missing person's report filed by his mother at the very beginning?
LIEUTENANT - That was in March 7, 2015.
REPORTER - So, there was a missing person's report that was filed?
LIEUTENANT - Correct.
REPORTER - So this is what I'm asking - Could the mother be detained for filing a missing person's report, and never once confirming to HPD that he came home?
LIEUTENANT - Yes, she could be reported or detained. That offence is a Class C misdemeanour, which is similar to a traffic citation.
REPORTER - Rudy Farius was found on Thursday - Your Investigators spoke to him nearly a week later. Do you think it was a mistake not to speak to him sooner? You said yourself the DEA has not accepted charges. That's a week where evidence could be destroyed, what's your response to that?
LIEUTENANT - So, it's procedure for the investigation to go through a channel and when it reaches us, we review it. There was no urgency to investigate a recovered or found person. And I say that because patrol officers made contact with him, they ensured that he was safe, they contacted HFD to make sure that he didn't need medical treatment, and he was cleared on scene by HFD. They refused... he refused transportation to the hospital. His mother took him to the hospital later on that evening.
CHIEF - What the lieutenant said, I think is important. You can't force a potential victim of a missing person, okay? with nothing else, to come in and give a statement. It takes time to try to work with people to get that statement.
REPORTER - Chief, I know you believe in transparency and for the public, we're gonna put this on the news and it's going to cause more questions, because yesterday we hear from the activist who made these shocking allegations, and as a reporter who was there, I did see him myself go in and out of the room, so it was clear that he had some sort of communication...
CHIEF - Transparency doesn't come in front of maintaining the integrity of the investigation and that's where my transparency stops, but... and this is the last question I'm asked about the activist or anybody else. We're gonna follow our investigation and we treat it the same. Everybody has a role in society and we respect everybody, including our activists, but the integrity of the investigation is number one, and we're gonna maintain that, okay?
REPORTER - (
inaudible) jeopardise the investigation by allowing...
CHIEF - I don't think so.
REPORTER - Do you know where Rudy is at this moment, and his mum?
LIEUTENANT - Yes, we do. Rudy is safe. He is with his mother, by choice, and he's an adult. He's a 25 year old man.
REPORTER - You used the word a minute ago, describing Rudy as a victim. Do we know...
CHIEF - I said potential victim, and I want to be respectful on that.
REPORTER - He disappeared when he was a young man?
CHIEF - 17.
REPORTER - There have been cases in the past where people have been brain washed, where people have been told you cannot... and they're being held against their will. For everyone that's going to be watching this worldwide, because this is a worldwide story - How do you not separate him until you guys are able to get everything together, considering that he disappeared as a child?
CHIEF - We've explained everything, some of the challenges and whatnot. Here's a fact: he's a grown man. (
reporter interrupts him) Listen to what I'm saying, if you want me to answer. He was an adult, 17, 17 years old, that's an adult in the state of Texas, okay? A lot of things that we shared up here. So, we're going to work our way through it, it takes a little while. There's a lot of development still, even last night, we know that. Everything's coming up, we're going to investigate it, the integrity is gonna stay in place, we're going to treat him the same as any other person that comes through, that we're conducting an investigation on. I'm done with that part.
REPORTER - What can you tell us about why Rudy and his mother, allegedly lied for 8 yrs, and tell you he was missing when he clearly wasn't?
CHIEF - We can't predict motivation and whatnot.
REPORTER - (
inaudible) interview, why go on living this lie?
CHIEF - But, you know, doing the interview and the particulars of it, it's an active investigation and we respect that.
REPORTER - (
asks about the resources for an 8 yr. investigation)
CHIEF - We wasn't just doing 8 yrs. total investigation. So, it went dormant for a little bit, but the case was still open, and I want to say this - until we find people, until we clear, that's when it should be clear, but if your question is... we expended some resources, absolutely, yes.
REPORTER - Did they give you any explanation as to why they did this?
CHIEF - No.
REPORTER - You can't say at all?
CHIEF - No. We're not going to say anything.
REPORTER - Why were HPD officers at the home this morning? Also, I know family members are concerned for Rudy's safety - Is there no concerns as far as the investigators..?
SERGEANT - There was a burglary report last night, at the house. Patrol responded and we were alerted because it was a house of note and it's part of the investigation and that is also now part of our investigation what happened last night, and it's still going on.
REPORTER - You said at the beginning of the press conference that Rudy has made contact with patrol units at some point - can you explain what that was? and does he face any charges for saying that he had false names?
LIEUTENANT - So, it is a criminal offence to give false names when you're detained, under arrest or you're making a valid police report. There was an instance where he did that, him and his mother. At this time though, the District Attorney has declined to accept charges on that until our entire investigation has been completed.
REPORTER - So you tried to charge him as well?
LIEUTENANT - The facts were presented to the District Attorney.
REPORTER - Did HPD ever go to his home and with his mother, and were any fictitious names given?
LIEUTENANT - Investigators did go out to the home multiple times, they talked to various family members, relatives, friends, neighbours and yes, they were given a fictitious name.
REPORTER - So, was there contact made with Rudy at his home?
CHIEF - Let me close with this one thing. Look, we've been open, as we can. It's not our first investigation and everybody here understands what I'm saying about the integrity of the investigation. This is where we're gonna end. We wanted to get up before, because this has come, not only as a local, but a national, in some cases international, because everything is going on. But it ends today, not our investigation, but as we get more information, and when it's appropriatee, we'll send out information.
So, I want to thank everybody. I want to thank you for your patience and thank you all for what you do every day.
