This week, a Connecticut woman and her stepson were saved from a fire in their home. The stepson then told investigators that he started the fire so he could escape the house where he’d been held for over two decades.
WFSB reports that the 32-year old man was only 68 pounds in weight when the firefighters removed him from the room of 8 feet by 9 feet where he had lived following the fire on February. Kimberly Sullivan (56), he told investigators, kept him in a locked room except for chores.
Sullivan, who was arrested Wednesday, faces charges of assault, kidnapping and unlawful restraint as well as cruelty and reckless endangerment.
Waterbury officials responded to the fire February 17th. Sullivan was able to safely escape the home, but firefighters were forced to assist her stepson, who had suffered smoke inhalation from exposure and the fire.
Kimberly Sullivan’s Warrant Affidavit Redacted on Scribd by kc Wildmoon
He said to the first responders he was the one who had started the fire. He said, “I want my freedom.”
During Sullivan’s Wednesday court appearance, prosecutors stated that the unidentified man “lit a blaze with hand sanitizer and some printer paper, while he remained locked inside the room.”
The prosecutor stated that “he lit the fire knowing that he would die. But he was locked in that same room for over 20 years and had tried to escape for that time.”
Sullivan’s lawyer argued the accusations were “absolutely false” and said that “she provided food and shelter.” However, she did not explain why a man of 32 years old weighed only
The prosecutor stated that “he was not exaggerating, similar to a survivors of Auschwitz death camp.”
A sworn affidavit confirming Sullivan’s detention states that Sullivan suffered “prolonged abuse and starvation” as well as “severe neglect and inhuman treatment”. He also received no “medical care or ental attention during this period.”
The amount of food he received was minimal. He told the investigators that he only got two cups of drinking water a day, and sometimes drank from the toilet.
According to the affidavit, he had not left his house since 4th grade. He said that the last time he went outside was when he and his father were 14 or 15 years old.
The policeman said that the man was afraid of losing his food, so he did not try to escape.
His stepmother was not the only one who knew that he had been held prisoner. He said his father and two half-sisters, as well as his grandmother, were also aware.
Former principals of former schools told WVIT they “knew” about the incident and reported it.
Tom Pannone said, “Not one damn thing has been done” at the Barnard Elementary School that is now closed. The tragedy is that nothing was done.
Pannone stated that he hadn’t seen the victim in 4th grade when staff and he noticed he looked small and thin. He said he was sometimes not given enough food. He didn’t go back to 5th grade
Everyone was really concerned about this child ever since he turned five years old. It was obvious that something was not right. Pannone stated that it was “grossly wrong”.
Pannone claimed that teachers brought him food when they discovered him eating from the trash and stealing food. He claimed that school staff had called the Department of Children and Families of New York State at least twenty times.
According to Sullivan’s warrant of arrest, he had been told that he should tell everyone he spoke with about his situation.
Sullivan appeared in court on Wednesday, and was given a bond of $300,000. WFSB reported that the victim was still being treated at a hospital.
Subscribe to the podcast ‘Crime Stories With Nancy Grace’ for the latest news on true crimes and justice.
[Featured image: Kimberly Sullivan is taken into custody/Waterbury Police Department]
