A Connecticut woman was arrested Wednesday after she was accused of keeping her stepson captive for 20 years.
Waterbury police and fire responded to a fire at the home of 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan on the night of Feb. 17. Both Sullivan and her 32-year-old stepson were evacuated from the home as firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the blaze.
Sullivan’s stepson, while receiving medical treatment, disclosed that he intentionally set the fire to the upstairs bedroom with hand sanitizer, printer paper, and a lighter because he wanted his “freedom” from his stepmother, the Waterbury Police Department said in a news release. He told police that she had held him captive since he was 11 years old.
An investigation conducted by the department and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office determined that the stepson had endured prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment.
“He was found in a severely emaciated condition and had not received medical or dental care during this time,” Waterbury police said. “Investigators further discovered that he had been provided with only minimal amounts of food and water which led to his extremely malnourished condition.”
“The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable,” Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said in a statement.
Sullivan was identified as a suspect and later arrested as a result of the investigation.
Ioannis Kaloidis, Sullivan’s attorney, told USA TODAY that his client is innocent.
“She’s never been in trouble. She’s never harmed anyone,” she said. “She denies these allegations, and I would just ask people not to rush to judgment here. We’re confident as the facts come out, she will be vindicated.”
Arrest warrant: Stepson’s earliest memories were of captivity
Starting at age 3, the stepson remembered sneaking out of his room at night to scour for leftover food and drink. He began to be locked in his room during the evenings when wrappings were discovered.
The stepson also recalled drinking water from the toilet because he only drank about two cups a day and stole food from children at school. There was “always” a lock on the outside of the room he was kept in, the stepson told police.
The stepson was pulled from school in the fourth grade after the Department of Children and Families visited the family home on a few occasions.
“Once he was pulled from school, his weekday routine and captivity became brutally consistent for the rest of his life,” the arrest warrant stated.
The stepson was locked away for several hours every day except for when he was allowed to complete various chores that took anywhere between 15 minutes and two hours to complete. On weekends, his father allowed him to watch television or pitch in with yard work while Sullivan and his sisters were out.
The “captivity” and “restraint” became worse once his father died, police said. He was given up to two sandwiches a day, two small water bottles and was forced to use bottles and newspapers to dispose of his waste.
Relatives, including his sisters, knew about the situation but did nothing to intervene, police said.
The stepson told police he worried that Sullivan would withhold the little food and “light of day” she currently provided if he told anyone what he was experiencing.
Kimberly Sullivan ‘stunned’ to hear allegations made, lawyer says
Sullivan faces five criminal charges, including first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Sullivan, who was taken into police custody Wednesday, was “stunned to hear the allegations that are being made against her,” Sullivan’s attorney, Kaloidis, told USA TODAY.
Sullivan was also arraigned Wednesday, and her bond was set at $300,000. She is currently in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.
“At this time, these are just allegations, and they need to stand up in court at trial,” Kaloidis said. She’s adamant she’s done nothing, and we’re confident she’ll be vindicated.”
