A harrowing tale of cruelty has come to light in Connecticut, where a man rescued from a house fire revealed he was held captive for two decades by his father and stepmother. According to an arrest warrant recently made public, the man described being confined to a single room from the age of 11, with only minimal access to food and water and no heating or air conditioning.
The victim, who is now 32 and named only as “Male Victim 1” in police records, described an existence of constant hunger and neglect. He devised makeshift solutions for his needs, such as using straws to dispose of waste through a hole in the window and saving some of his limited water supply for bathing without soap. The lack of dental care resulted in his teeth breaking when he did manage to eat.
The man’s ordeal came to a dramatic conclusion on February 17 when he set fire to the Waterbury house deliberately, hoping to escape his torment. Upon the arrival of police and firefighters, he recounted the long years of abuse, leading to charges of kidnapping, cruelty to persons, and other crimes against his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan. She, now released on a $300,000 bail, denies the allegations through her lawyer, Ioannis Kaloidis, who insists on her presumption of innocence.
Authorities are now working to understand how such circumstances lasted unreported for so long. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo has stated that they are examining records from local schools and the state child welfare agency to ascertain whether any warning signs were missed.
Following the fire, medical assessment revealed the man to be severely undernourished, suffering from wasting syndrome—a condition characterized by extreme weight loss and muscle degradation. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters), he weighed merely 69 pounds (31 kilograms). He was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression.
During his confinement, the man said he was perpetually hungry. While in school, he resorted to begging classmates for food, stealing, or eating discarded waste. Once he left school and was restricted entirely to the house, his rations consisted of two sandwiches and limited water each day.
The police’s engagement with the family was limited, only recorded in 2005. One instance involved a welfare check prompted by concerns from children he had attended school with. In another, the family reported school officials for harassment after being reported to child welfare authorities.
The Department of Children and Families, tasked with investigating such cases, has declared no available records of involvement with the family, suggesting that any reports not substantiated might have been erased after five years. They expressed shock and sorrow for the man’s suffering.
Tom Pannone, former principal at the Waterbury elementary school the man attended, recalled alerting the stepmother and the child welfare department when observing the child’s extreme thinness, though police were not informed of this history during their 2005 visit.
As the investigation continues, police are lending support to the victim, aiding in his healing journey with physical and mental health treatments and contributing to his immediate needs through local fundraisers. Waterbury school officials have yet to issue a statement regarding these events.
