The 83-year-old homeless man who had his hair and beard dyed red in exchange for donations in São José do Rio Preto (SP) was found this Tuesday (9) in the central region of the city. He denied being friends with businessman Renato Eugênio Dias, who appears in the videos that generated repercussions and outrage on social media.
In a video sent to g1 on Sunday, Renato stated that he has known the elderly man for years, that they are friends and that the case occurred in a moment of relaxation. The man, who will not be identified in the report, spoke for the first time to TV TEM about the case this Tuesday (9).
“Do you think a friend will do what he did? Friend of these people? He’s a criminal, that’s not something you do. He’s no good. I was ‘knocked out’, [I said] ‘stop this business, Renato’. I borrowed R$50 from a friend at the store, I went to the barber and shaved everything off. I felt bad, embarrassed. I don’t even want to remember that anymore”, laments the elderly man.
The case gained repercussion on Sunday (7) after the release of a video recorded on May 9. In the images, the elderly man appears to hesitate and shows that he does not want the businessman to do the painting.
Still, the garage owner insists and even states that he will withdraw the elderly man’s clothing donation if he does not agree to dye his hair and beard. Later, photos show the elderly man’s hair and beard completely red.
When commenting on the episode, the elderly man said that he had consumed alcohol that day and was looking for financial help. He was found by authorities with his hair and beard already cut, with no traces of dye.
g1 tried to contact Renato’s defense lawyer again this Tuesday (9), but did not receive a response until the last update of this report.
Treatment resistance
The municipal secretary of Social Development, Lana Braga, was at the scene and spoke to the elderly man. He lives on the streets and has been monitored by the municipality’s social assistance network since 2019, as he is a drug user.
The elderly man also commented on the difficulties faced by people in vulnerable situations and stated that he is resistant to treatments in reception clinics. Therefore, he said he does not wish to be referred at this time.
“In the clinic it’s difficult because you’re going to sleep with someone you don’t know and human beings are very bad,” said the elderly man.
According to Lana, approaching homeless people requires respect for individual choice and the gradual construction of bonds of trust. Therefore, the elderly person will continue to be monitored by the reference technician and the social approach team.