36-year-old man held captive for about 20 years by his father freed (Photos)

A 36-year-old Brazilian man was freed Monday after allegedly being held captive by his father and step-mother in the basement of their home for at least 20 years. Police in Brazil came across Armando de Andrade by accident after searching homes in quest of members of a drugs gang.

The man, who disappeared when he was 16, was reportedly tied to a bed in a tiny, windowless room of the house in Sao Paulo.

He was found with 'enormous' toenails and fingernails and a long beard which had grown down to his knees, according to witnesses, while police officers who found him described him as 'malnourished'.

Police believe he lived in virtual darkness for two decades in a room without light fittings, while the floor was reportedly covered in human faeces.

Police chief Celso Marchiori, who is investigating the case, said of the moment policemen found him:

'He got up, very impaired and didn't speak a word. We took him outside and he still didn't say anything. We didn't know if he was scared or drugged.

'He wasn't able to identify us as police officers. We called for help and he was taken straight to hospital', the police said.

Neighbours in the Guarulhos district of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil, recalled how Armando was a normal 16-year-old, who liked skateboarding and playing the guitar when he suddenly disappeared. His friends never saw him again and when they inquire from Armando's family, they were always told he had moved to another part of Brazil where he was building his family and ‘doing well'.

Armando is currently being cared for in the psychiatric ward of a local hospital, where he is reportedly too traumatised to speak. Meanwhile, Police has launched an investigation to look into Armando's detention, but his father and step-mother, who have not yet been arrested, are reported to have fled their home following aggression from angry neighbours.