A Houston man who had been reported missing in 2015 but who was never really missing at all has spoken out about his ordeal.
Rudolph “Rudy” Farias was 17 years old when his mother reported him missing in 2015. He actually returned the next day, but for eight years his mother maintained that he was missing and introduced him as her nephew when they were out in public.
Farias, now 25, has spoken out for the first time since he was found sleeping outside of a church, leading to countless news articles about the “missing” man being found after eight years. Farias told Fox 26 Houston that he felt as though he “lived in a prison” during those eight years.
“I just wanted to be free. I just wanted to live my life,” Farias told the outlet. “It feels like, I’m just at peace now. Just feels happy, you know?”
In public, Farias also told people that he was his mother’s nephew instead of her son.
“She would manipulate me into saying I would get arrested for speeding ticket,” he told Fox 26. “It just felt like brainwashing, honestly.”
He said that he could leave at any time, but felt manipulated to stay, describing himself as having “Stockholm Syndrome.” He told the outlet that he was forced to hide whenever family or friends came over to his mother’s house and that he thought she was the only person he could trust.
“I was stuck at home,” Farias said. “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.”
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He said that being hidden meant he had to listen to his family and friends outside.
“I would just have to listen to my family, be happy and cheerful on the other side of the (expletive) door,” said Farias. “I wanted to scream for them, but at the same time I couldn’t. The only person I could trust was my mom.”
Farias also alluded to questions about whether his mother sexually abused him during those eight years.
“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 told Fox 26.
Last Thursday, Houston police Lt. Christopher Zamora told reporters that Farias’ mother, Janie Santana, had lied about him being missing.
Zamora said that during the eight years Farias was allegedly missing, police had encountered him, but both he and his mother gave false information about his identity, the New York Post reported.
“During these contacts, fictitious names and date of births were given, misleading the officers,” Zamora told reporters. “In fact, both Janie, Rudy’s mother, and Rudy himself gave fictitious names while interacting with various patrol officers.”
Police have declined to file charges against Santana.