Rudy Farias, who was believed to have been missing for eight years, has broken his silence.
Contrary to previous police reports, Farias, now 25, confessed that he was actually at home throughout the entire time he was allegedly missing. "It's as if I lived in a prison," Farias confessed. "I just wanted to be free. I just wanted to live my life."
Farias' case began unfolding in March 2015, when his mother reported him missing to the Houston police. However, authorities recently verified that Farias had returned home the very next day. Surprisingly, his mother had continued to mislead the police, insisting her son was still missing.
"She would manipulate me into saying I would get arrested for a speeding ticket," Farias explained, describing his mother's actions as akin to "brainwashing."
While Farias asserted he possessed the freedom to leave, he conceded that he felt coerced into staying, comparing his situation to "Stockholm Syndrome". Whenever visitors arrived, he had to conceal his presence. His mother, he noted, was the only person he could trust, as he was unable to validate any of the stories she told him.
"I was stuck at home," revealed Farias. "Somebody would come up, my mom would just tell me to stay in the room, keep the door locked, don't let them in [and] don't make any sounds."
Farias recalled the moments when family members visited the home while he was "missing". "I would just have to listen to my family, be happy and cheerful on the other side of the door," he said. "I wanted to scream for them, but at the same time I couldn't. The only person I could trust was my mom."
Addressing rumors of sexual abuse by his mother, Farias vehemently denied the allegations, stating, "She didn't force herself on me or anything like that. It would never be anything like that. Just stuff that really made me uncomfortable." He admitted to his lack of contact with people outside, which left him unable to discern the normalcy of his situation.
When asked about his relationship with his mother now, he expressed his desire to disconnect. "Not after all of that. Not after everything she did and to be honest, I don't want one with her," Farias admitted. However, now finally being able to live openly, he confessed to feeling a deep sense of relief and peace, simply stating, "It feels happy, you know?"
Officials confirmed that the district attorney's office has not yet charged the mother for filing false police reports. However, they did mention that this could change in the future as the investigation is still in progress.
Farias "disappeared" while walking his dogs in 2015. His dogs returned home but his mother, Santana, maintained that her son was nowhere to be found.
The Texas Center for the Missing recently declared that Farias has been "located safe," confirming the news earlier this month.
Santana had previously issued a statement saying, "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."
This narrative has been disputed by neighbors who claim that they were never under the impression that Farias was missing. According to them, Farias was frequently spotted at his mother's home, even spending time with their children and cousin in their garage.
