Connecticut woman accused of holding stepson captive for over 20 years

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — A woman has been arrested in Waterbury after allegedly kidnapping a man and holding him captive for over 20 years, according to police.

On Feb. 17, crews responded to a fire at a home on Blake Street in Waterbury. Two people, 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan and a 32-year-old man were inside the home at the time. Sullivan was able to evacuate safely and the man was helped out by firefighters.

While being evaluated by EMS for smoke inhalation, the victim allegedly disclosed to first responders that he intentionally set the fire in his upstairs room by using a lighter, hand sanitizer and paper because he "wanted his freedom." He continued by alleging that he had been held captive by Sullivan since he was 11 years old.

The victim was transported to the hospital, where his condition worsened and he was stated in critical condition due to smoke inhalation.

After an extensive investigation, detectives determined that the victim had been held captive for over 20 years, enduring abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment. He was found in a severely emaciated condition and had not received any medical or dental care during his time in captivity and was given minimal amounts of food and water.

Detectives questioned Sullivan, who was in a car with her daughter and the daughter's boyfriend, at the scene of the fire. According to an affidavit, Sullivan stated that she had taken the victim to a psychiatrist in the past and that he was not locked in his room. During the investigation, the detective found that the door to the victim's room had a slide lock on the outside.

Detectives attempted to reach out to Sullivan during early parts of the investigation, to which she allegedly refused and stated that she spoke with an attorney and would not be speaking with police.

During interviewing, the victim detailed a life of abuse, saying that at first, he started being locked in his room only at night. He recalled drinking water from the toilet due to the fact that he only received two glasses of water per day.

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 at home, the affidavit said.

According to the affidavit, the room that the victim was living in was eight by nine feet and was a back storage area in the home. He claimed that the room had no air conditioning in the summer and no heating in the winter.

He said that eventually, he was only let out of the room for around one to two hours per day, usually to do chores. He claimed that he had no toilet access after a time and was left to urinate in bottles and defecate onto a paper and dispose of it in the garbage when he was let out to do chores.

The affidavit states that his only connection to the outside world was a radio kept outside his bedroom, where he would listen to local radio stations and use that as a way to keep track of the date and year. He educated himself by using a dictionary and reading the three books per year he was permitted to have.

On the day he set the fire, the victim claimed that Sullivan told him to wash his face so that firefighters would not see his appearance and yelled for others to help her get the locks off the door.

Sullivan was arrested on Wednesday and charged with:

• Assault in the First Degree
• Kidnapping in the Second Degree
• Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree
• Cruelty to Persons
• Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree

Sullivan's lawyer says that this isn't the full story.

"He was not locked in the room, she did not restrain him in any way, she provided food, she provided shelter," Ioannis Kaloidis, a Waterbury attorney, said. "She is blown away by these allegations."

Kaloidis said that the man's biological father lived there until recently.

"He was the biological father, he was the one who dictated how his son would be raised, we think as the evidence comes out, you will see that she is not the villain she's made out to be," Kaloidis said.

Sullivan was arraigned in court and her bond was set at $300,000. She will be held in custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.