[Blue State...] Woman charged with holding 'severely emaciated' stepson in captivity for 20 years: Cops

https://abc7news.com/post/connecticut-stepmom-charged-holding-severely-
emaciated-stepson-captivity-20-years-cops/16015683/

WATERBURY, Connecticut -- A woman was charged for allegedly holding her 
"severely emaciated" stepson in captivity for over 20 years, since he was 
11 years old, and forcing him to endure "prolonged abuse, starvation, 
severe neglect, and inhumane treatment," police said.

The discovery of the now 32-year-old man happened on Feb. 17, when 
Waterbury Police Department officers in Connecticut, along with personnel 
from the Waterbury Fire Department, responded to a report of an active 
fire at a residence on Blake Street at approximately 8:42 p.m.

The fire was quickly extinguished by authorities and two occupants were 
found inside the home at the time. The first person was identified as 56-
year-old Kimberly Sullivan, the owner of the property who called 
authorities for help, and the second person was identified as a 32-year-
old man who was later determined to be Sullivan's stepson.

Sullivan was evacuated to safety following the fire but the male occupant, 
who had suffered smoke inhalation and exposure to the fire, had to be 
assisted from the home by Waterbury Fire Department personnel and was 
placed in the care of emergency medical services.

However, the case immediately took a turn when police began to speak with 
the man.

"While receiving medical care, the male victim disclosed to first 
responders that he had intentionally set the fire in his upstairs room, 
stating, I wanted my freedom," officials said in their statement regarding 
the case.

The victim reportedly used printer paper for kindling, hand sanitizer for 
fuel and a lighter.

He further alleged that he had been held captive by Sullivan since he was 
approximately 11 years old.

"Following these alarming statements, the Waterbury Police Department 
Major Crimes Unit, in collaboration with the Waterbury States Attorneys 
Office, launched an extensive investigation," authorities continued. 
"Detectives determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 
20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and 
inhumane treatment."

The 32-year-old was also found in a "severely emaciated condition and had 
not received medical or dental care" during his time in captivity inside 
the home over the past two decades, according to police.

"Investigators further discovered that he had been provided with only 
minimal amounts of food and water which led to his extremely malnourished 
condition," police continued.

As a result of the investigation, Sullivan was identified as a suspect, 
and an arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday.

Sullivan was located by police on Wednesday and taken into police custody 
by the Waterbury Police Department on charges of assault in the first 
degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first 
degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree, 
police said.

'Locked in ... 22 to 24 hours a day'
The man, now officially called "Male Victim 1," remembered in his early 
years sneaking out of his room at night for food and drink due to hunger, 
according to the affidavit.

By fourth grade, he explained, he was asking other people for food. 
Stealing it. Picking it out of the garbage.

After his food wrappings were found, he started getting locked in his 
room. His school repeatedly notified authorities, the document says, and 
while he was in fourth grade, state social workers twice did wellness 
checks.

Sullivan told him to claim he was OK, he said.

Eventually, the stepmother permanently pulled him out of school and only 
let him leave his room for chores, according to police interviews.

"When asked how often this routine was, he stated 'nearly every day,'" the 
affidavit says.

When he was around 14 or 15, he went with his father to dispose of yard 
waste, the affidavit reads. It was the last time he left the property.

Then his father died, and the alleged captivity got even more restrictive, 
he told police.

"(The man) stated that it got to a point where the only time he would ever 
be out of the house once his father died was to let the family dog out in 
the back of the property. Stating it was only about 1 minute a day. 
Essentially, (he) was locked in his room between 22 to 24 hours a day," 
according to the affidavit.

After the fire, Sullivan was arrested. She faces charges, including for 
assault, kidnapping and cruelty, police said.

Her take on what happened is different.

'Ms. Sullivan is presumed innocent'
All that's been alleged, her lawyer told reporters Wednesday outside 
court, is "absolutely not true."

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

She is being held on $300,000 bond, state Correction Department records 
show.

"Ms. Sullivan is presumed innocent," Kaloidis told CNN in a statement. 
"The warrant details allegations that must be proven at trial. My client 
maintains her innocence and looks forward to clearing her name."

After the fire, an officer who saw the man described him as "extremely 
emaciated."

He stood 5-foot-9 and weighed 70 pounds. All his teeth looked rotten. But 
he could talk. And according to the affidavit, he told first responders:

"I wanted my freedom."

Waterbury's police chief called the man's 20 years of suffering 
"heartbreaking and unimaginable."

"This case required relentless investigative effort, and I commend the 
dedication of our officers and the Waterbury State's Attorney's Office," 
Chief Fernando Spagnolo said in a statement.

While performing search warrants, the affidavit says, police found plywood 
and a lock on the door to the man's room.


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