In Waterbury, Connecticut, a man who claims to have been confined for two decades managed to escape by setting his room on fire, leading to his rescue by emergency personnel. Authorities reported this incident on Wednesday. The victim’s stepmother faces charges related to cruelty and kidnapping.
Responding to a report of a house fire, Waterbury first responders discovered the frail 32-year-old man trapped in an upper floor room. As they attended to him for smoke inhalation, he disclosed that he had intentionally started the fire in a bid to secure his freedom. “I wanted my freedom,” he confessed to the police, elaborating on how his captivity allegedly began when he was just 11 years old.
The subsequent investigation exposed a harrowing tale; the man had endured over twenty years of captivity, marked by continuous abuse, starvation, extreme neglect, and horrific treatment, with no access to medical or dental care during this period, police stated. “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable,” Chief Fernando Spagnolo remarked in a released statement.
The stepmother, 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, is facing several charges, including assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty, and reckless endangerment. During her arraignment, the court set her bond at $300,000.
Sullivan’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, stated that his client was taken aback by the accusations and maintains her innocence. “She insists the allegations are untrue, and as we gather more evidence, we plan to mount a robust defense,” Kaloidis explained over the phone. He mentioned he is still collecting details to ascertain if others lived in the residence.
