Houston — A 25-year-old man in Texas who was found alive eight years after he was reported missing was sexually abused and drugged by his mother for years, according to a community worker who spoke with her on Wednesday.
Rudy Farias was found last week outside a Houston church after his mother filed a missing report in 2015. Farias was 17 when his mother said he never returned home after a walk with his dogs.
Investigators from the Houston Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit spoke with Farias and her mother on Wednesday, though details of that conversation have not been released.
Quanell X, a well-known Houston community activist, said Farias told him that his mother sexually abused him for years and heavily drugged him.
He said, “I’ve never heard of a mother doing something to a child like this woman did.” “That boy needs to go into the best drug rehabilitation and the best psychological, mental health facility that we can find for him. He’s a good kid. That kid was seriously abused.”
Quanell said Farias told him he ran away in 2015 but returned two days later. Farias reportedly told Quanell that her mother threatened her, saying she would get in trouble with the police if she said anything.
According to Quanell, Farias claims she was not allowed to leave the house for the past eight years. When asked why he would not leave, Quanell explained that Farias had told him that his mother would give him drugs and that he was afraid to go to the police.
“She convinced him that he was in trouble because of his initial escape and that law enforcement wanted to arrest him and put him in jail for being on the run,” Quanell said. “He had assured her that all kinds of agencies were on the lookout to land him in jail.”
According to Quanell, Farias ultimately had too much and wanted her mother to respect her boundaries. The man reportedly took his mother’s credit card and left.
Police later found him at a Houston church on Thursday.
“He said he was tired of her boundaries not being respected and that she wanted a life of her own,” Quanell said. “His exact words were, ‘I was tired of living like a slave.'”
ABC-affiliate station ABC13 in Houston caught them at a hotel in north Houston after interviews with police.
ABC13 waits to hear from investigators to learn more about what was revealed during that conversation.
In a tweet, police said detectives are not in a position to discuss specifics or comment on whether the allegations being made public are factual.
Meanwhile, neighbors who claim they never knew Farias was reported missing said they would see him around.
Civil court records obtained by ABC13 showed that her mother lives on the same street in Northeast Houston.
“He used to come over to my garage, hang out with my cousins, son and daughter,” Kisha Ross said. “That boy never disappeared.”
The Texas Center for the Missing shared the following statement on behalf of the family when Farias was found:
“We would like to thank the media and public for their support. My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29, after being missing for eight years. At present, we do not have any additional information on Rudy’s case. What we do know is that during his recovery, a Good Samaritan found him unresponsive and immediately called the police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to recover from his trauma, but at this time, he Has not been able to speak and has not been able to communicate with anyone. We. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more information as Rudy recovers.”
The Houston Fire Department chief told ABC13 that Farias refused to be taken by ambulance, which was signed by her mother and released into the care of her family.
Farias’ mother shared photos with ABC13 claiming she had brought her son to the hospital.
At the time, the mother believed that her son had been beaten, abused, and kidnapped all these years. Another neighbor said he had seen Farias living at his mother’s house for years.
“I was surprised that someone was missing here and we found him,” he said. “It’s shocking for everybody.”
At the time of Farias’ disappearance, his mother told authorities he suffered from depression and PTSD after his brother died in a motorcycle accident in 2011, with neighbors saying he would talk about it.
Ross said, “He said he lost his brother in a motorcycle accident.” ‘I know he didn’t come out to hang out when he thought of his brother; He himself used to sit behind in the forest.
On Tuesday, ABC13 spoke with Farias’ mother outside her home.
She didn’t want to go on camera but claimed that the man her neighbors have spent time with and been seen living with is her nephew.
He shared a picture of him, but the neighbors refuted the claim saying that the person in the picture was not him. Now, they are trying to find out why any of them would say that Farias was ever missing.
Ross said, “I don’t know. That’s what I’ve been trying to find out all day.” “I’m confused right now. I’m thinking, ‘What’s happening?'”
According to the Houston Police Department, a family member called them in 2018 and said Farias was living behind a relative’s house, but when police went outside, they could not find him.