The 32-year-old man told firefighters that he intentionally set fire to his stepmom’s home and said, “I wanted my freedom” after 20 years of captivity.
WATERBURY, Conn. — A Waterbury woman is accused of keeping her stepson captive in abusive conditions for over 20 years, and the now-32-year-old man claimed he intentionally set the home on fire last month to find “freedom.”
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested Wednesday and faces multiple charges in allegedly keeping her 32-year-old stepson in captivity for over two decades.
The 32-year-old man told firefighters on the evening of Feb. 17 that he intentionally set fire to his stepmom’s home on Blake Street and said, “I wanted my freedom.” He added he had been held captive since he was around 11 years old.
Police observed the man as “extremely emaciated” and “very dirty,” with “matted and unkempt” hair and apparently rotten teeth, according to Sullivan’s warrant. He allegedly hadn’t seen a doctor since he was a child and had never been to a dentist.
The Waterbury Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office launched an investigation into the man’s accusations and found that the man had been held in captivity for over 20 years.
The man has since been provided with clothing, books, and other items to bring him comfort, and he faces physical therapy and other healing processes in his recovery journey, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said in a press conference Thursday.
The Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury is raising funds through a GoFundMe for the man, which will provide him with medical and dental care, counseling and therapy for physical and emotional recovery, housing and daily living expenses to rebuild his independence and support for legal fees, according to the Waterbury Mayor’s Office.
Spagnolo added that in his 33 years on the police force, “this is the worst treatment of humanity that I’ve ever witnessed.”
According to an arrest warrant, the man began sneaking out of his room at the age of three to get food and fluids to drink. Once food wrappings were discovered, he began to be locked in his room, resulting in him drinking out of the toilet with a limited water supply.
In fourth grade, he was permanently pulled out of school, the warrant said. The school notified the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) about him asking for and stealing food, as well as eating food out of the garbage.
Sullivan allegedly told him to say everything was fine during a DCF visit, according to the warrant.
In a statement to FOX61 on Thursday, DCF said there is no current or historical record of any reports made in this case and noted that records of neglect and abuse reports are expunged after five years if an investigation was done but the case isn’t substantial, per state regulation.
“We are shocked and saddened for the victim and at the unspeakable conditions he endured. The now adult victim has shown incredible strength and resilience during this time of healing and our hearts go out to him,” DCF Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly said in a statement. “These horrors serve as a reminder that it takes the diligent efforts of all members of the community – family, friends, neighbors, and professionals – to protect children from abuse and neglect.”
The man told police that he always had a lock on the outside of the door to his room. The lock transitioned from a chain lock to a pad lock and then a slide bolt lock, which was also observed from photos that detectives obtained from search and seizure warrants at the home.
Starting at the age of 12, the man alleged that he was moved to a smaller room that was a back storage space of eight feet by nine feet. It had angled ceilings, no heat in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer.
His weekday routine and captivity was “brutally consistent” for the rest of his life after he was pulled from school, according to the warrant. He was let out of his room for a limited time in the morning to complete chores in the house that took from 15 minutes to two hours to complete.
While Sullivan was away for events or to see friends, the man’s father would let him come out and watch television and work in the yard, the warrant noted. He said the last time he left the property was to dump yard waste with his father when he was 14 or 15 years old.
Once his father died, which police said was in January 2024, the man claimed he was locked in his room between 22 to 24 hours a day and was only allowed out of the house to let the family dog out for a minute a day. For food, he had up to two sandwiches a day, and to drink, he had the equivalent of about two small bottles of water.
The man said in the warrant that he has “been kept a secret my entire life,” noting that hardly anyone came to the house and that he was told not to make a sound if someone did come. Along with his father and Sullivan, his two half sisters and late grandmother allegedly also knew about the situation.
“The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable. This case required relentless investigative effort, and I commend the dedication of our officers and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office,” Spagnolo said in a statement Wednesday. “Their unwavering commitment ensured that justice is served, and the perpetrator is held fully accountable for these horrific crimes.”
The man said he started the fire using a lighter, hand sanitizer and paper. Sullivan made it out, but the man stayed inside and fire crews assisted him out of the home; he breathed in smoke and was exposed to the fire.
Sullivan faces assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment charges. She appeared in court Wednesday and bond was set at $300,000. Her next court date is set for March 26.
Sullivan posted bail Thursday, according to the Waterbury Superior Court clerk’s office.
Spagnolo said that Sullivan did not talk to police “immediately” about the case and a motive is not known at this time.
Her lawyer told FOX61 that she maintains her innocence and that “she’s never locked him in a room.”
“From our perspective, these allegations are not true. They are outlandish,” he said during a short meeting with reporters on Wednesday. “I mean she was blown away when she heard these allegations. She’s adamant they are not true. This did not happen, and we look forward to being able to vindicate her and show that she’s done nothing wrong.”
Sen. Jason Perillo, ranking senator on the Committee on Children, Sen. Rob Sampson, Sen. Heather Somers and Sen. Stephen Harding released a statement in reaction to the man’s claims, calling for accountability and answers from DCF.
“The affidavit says the victim detailed a life of abuse and recalled drinking water from the toilet due to the fact that he only received two glasses of water per day,” they wrote in the statement. “He said that he was pulled out of school after the school called the Department of Children and Families (DCF) twice due to the victim constantly asking students for their food during lunch time because he was allegedly being starved and tortured at home. We need answers from DCF. We need accountability. So let’s hear it. Right now. This is horrific. This is nauseating cruelty. Gov. Lamont: step up.”
Former neighbor Paula Depina said she used to live next door to the home where police said the man was held captive. She said she would see him in the windows and always thought something was off.
“He was on the second floor in the window. Like looking like a little ghost, like he was pale, like white. And then I’m like, I don’t know why maybe he doesn’t like to come out? But I never thought anything was wrong,” Depina said.
Depina said that after hearing about the allegations, she would have called 911 sooner.
Shae Baker, his current next door neighbor, remembered seeing him years ago.
“I was just in the backyard playing, and I looked up and saw a boy and I waved at him, and he smiled and waved back and I hadn’t seen him in the house or anywhere around since, so I just figured it was family visiting, is it someone I made up? There was no sign of him anywhere outside of that day,” Baker said.
The investigation remains open and active.
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