A woman from Connecticut was arrested after a fire broke out at her home last month. When firefighters responded to the blaze, they discovered that the 32-year-old man living there had not only been rescued from the fire but also from years of abuse and captivity.
The man, whose name has not been released, claims his stepmother kept him locked in a room in their Waterbury home for over 20 years. During this time, he had little food, no medical or dental care, and was not allowed to leave the room. He says he was kept in this condition since he was around 11 years old.
After the fire, the man told authorities that he had started it himself using hand sanitizer, paper, and a lighter, hoping it would lead to his escape. “I wanted my freedom,” he told responders, according to the Waterbury Police Department.
Medical staff who examined the man after the fire were shocked by his condition, noting that he appeared to be suffering from “wasting syndrome” due to his extreme weight loss. A relative who hadn’t seen the man in years also expressed concern, saying that the man looked like a Holocaust survivor when he visited him in the hospital.
Police launched an investigation and concluded that the man had been held captive for over two decades, suffering from severe neglect and abuse. “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable,” said Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo.
Kimberly Sullivan, the 56-year-old stepmother, was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including assault, kidnapping, and cruelty to persons. She appeared in court and was granted bail of $300,000. Her lawyer, Ioannis Kaloidis, maintains her innocence and says the allegations are just that—allegations.
When first responders found the man after the fire, he was in extremely poor condition. He weighed only 68.7 pounds, which is dangerously underweight for his height of 5 feet 9 inches. His hair was matted, his teeth were rotting, and he was described as filthy. He admitted to setting the fire and accused his stepmother of locking him in his room.
Medical records show that the man had not been to a doctor since childhood and had not received proper care for years. He had only been given aspirin for any medical issues. He was also unable to bathe properly, using bottles to urinate and newspapers to relieve himself.
The victim said he spent most of his life locked in a small room, with little food or water. He was allowed out only briefly to do chores, which took between 15 minutes to two hours each day. He described his food intake as just two sandwiches and two small bottles of water per day, leaving him constantly hungry.
The man said he often tried to escape by sneaking out to eat from food wrappers or drinking from the toilet when he was extremely thirsty. He also told detectives that the Department of Children and Families had visited the home twice, concerned about his frequent hunger. After the second visit, his stepmother pulled him out of school, and he was kept locked away at home.
As time passed, the man’s confinement became worse. His stepmother would change the locks on his door, starting with a chain, then a padlock, and finally a slide bolt. He was locked in a space measuring about 8 feet by 9 feet, not a proper bedroom.
The man said he tried to stay quiet and not draw attention to his situation because he feared worse punishment or being locked away even longer. He also said that after his father passed away, his captivity became even more severe. His two half-sisters and late grandmother were aware of his situation, but they did not intervene.
On the day of the fire, the man used a lighter he found in his father’s belongings to start the blaze. He knew it had to be serious enough to make sure no one could stop it. When Sullivan opened his door, he was forced to wash his face to hide his appearance, fearing that the fire department would see how bad he looked. He stayed on the ground, hoping the firefighters would come in and rescue him.
Sullivan’s lawyer insists that the man’s allegations are untrue and that there is no independent evidence to back up his claims. However, investigators found locks, plywood, and burn marks that supported the man’s story.
