"I just wanted to be free. I just wanted to live my life,” Farias told Fox 26. "It feels like, I'm just at peace now. Just feels happy, you know?"
Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, 25, the Texas man who was thought to have disappeared 8 years ago but, according to police, was actually discovered to be hidden in his home with his mom, speaks out about what he has gone through for the past several years.
Farias was reported missing by his mother in 2015 after he did not return from walking his dogs, according to police. In early 2023 he was found alive but unconscious outside a church in Houston and since then his story has gained a national spotlight.
After initial investigations, Houston Police said Farias had in fact not been missing all those eight years, but that he was at home with his mother. Officials said he ran away and came back the next day but that his mom told him he had to pretend he was still missing.
Farias told reporters with FOX 26 that he wasn’t physically restrained but claims he was mentally held captive.
"She would manipulate me into saying I would get arrested for speeding ticket," Farias told the outlet. "It just felt like brainwashing, honestly."
During the press conference, police said that since being found and released from the hospital, Farias had been staying with his mother, by his choice. In new interviews, Farias said he is now staying with a family friend and doesn’t want contact with his mother, according to FOX 26.
“I don’t want any contact with her at all,” Farias told reporters. “I just want to live my life away from her.”
Farias said that during those 8 years, he had to hide away from family and listen while his loved ones gathered without him due to fears of him being found out.
“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."
Conflicting reports from police and local activist Quanell X about Farias being sexually assaulted were released after initial interviews with Farias. Police said Farias did not mention instances of sexual assault or abuse by his mother but Quanell said that Farias mentioned it during their interview.
Since then, Farias has told reporters that he never said sexual assault occurred but that his mom did have him play the role of “husband” in the house.
"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," Farias told reporters.
When asked why he thinks his mother may have done this to him, Farias said he wasn’t sure but thinks that a lot of it may stem from his brother passing away. His brother died in a motorcycle accident in 2011, an event that left the family broken.
“He was our glue, he took care of the family,” Farias told FOX 26 reporters.
During his years in hiding, Farias told FOX 26 he felt like he was in prison and just wanted to live a life of his own and make his own money.
"I just wanted to be free. I just wanted to live my life,” Farias told reporters."It feels like, I'm just at peace now. Just feels happy, you know?"
Following the interview, GoFundMe banned Farias's mother from the site after Farias mentioned during his interview that his mother had a GoFundMe page to help raise money to bring him home.
“Somebody at one point mentioned something about an original GoFundMe page,” Farias said. “Meanwhile where was all the money that they raised…and where did that go to helping find me.”
The popular fundraising platform has since released a statement saying, "GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing," the company told Houston Public Media.
Farias said that his mom always claimed money was a factor in why he couldn’t leave, he told reporters. He said when he asked if they could just get a lawyer and go to the police she would say they didn’t have enough money.
“Everything was just money, money, money, money,” Farias told Fox 26.
What asked what he wants to do, the now 25-year-old said he is looking forward to getting a job and living a free life, according to Fox 26.
Farias' mother has not been charged. Houston Police said during a press conference that the district attorney would make a decision on whether to pursue charges once their investigation was complete.
