A woman from Connecticut was taken into custody on Wednesday following allegations that she had held her stepson captive for two decades. The incident unfolded when Waterbury police and fire personnel responded to a fire at the residence of 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan on the evening of February 17. Both Sullivan and her 32-year-old stepson were safely evacuated from the house as firefighters swiftly worked to extinguish the flames. The stepson, receiving medical attention, revealed that he had deliberately started the fire in the upstairs bedroom using hand sanitizer, printer paper, and a lighter in a bid to break free from his stepmother’s control. According to a news release from the Waterbury Police Department, he disclosed that he had been kept captive by his stepmother since he was 11 years old.
A joint investigation by the police department and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office unveiled a harrowing tale of prolonged abuse, starvation, neglect, and inhumane treatment suffered by the stepson. Police reported that he was found severely malnourished and had not received medical or dental care throughout the years of captivity. Investigators also discovered that he had been provided with minimal food and water, which had led to his dangerously emaciated state.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo expressed profound sadness over the victim’s ordeal, calling it both heartbreaking and unimaginable. Sullivan was subsequently identified as a suspect and taken into custody following the investigation. Her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, maintained her innocence, stating that she had no prior criminal record and refuted the allegations against her. Kaloidis urged people to withhold judgment until all the facts emerged, expressing confidence that Sullivan would be cleared of the accusations.
Details from an arrest warrant shed light on the stepson’s earliest memories of captivity, recounting instances of deprivation and confinement from a young age. The stepson recalled scrounging for food and water at night, being locked in his room, and resorting to drinking from the toilet due to limited access to drinking water. He described a routine of isolation, minimal food, and restricted movement that persisted for years. The situation worsened after his father’s passing, with the stepson receiving meager rations and being confined for extended periods with inadequate sanitation facilities.
Relatives, including his sisters, were aware of the conditions but failed to intervene, according to police. The stepson expressed fear that any disclosure of his plight would result in further deprivation of food and limited freedom by Sullivan.
Ivan is “stunned” by the allegations made, according to the lawyer. Sullivan is facing five criminal charges, including first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty, and first-degree reckless endangerment. The attorney, Kaloidis, stated that Sullivan was taken into police custody and was surprised by the accusations against her. She was arraigned on Wednesday, with her bond set at $300,000. Sullivan is currently held by the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Kaloidis emphasized that these are just allegations that need to be proven in court, expressing confidence in Sullivan’s innocence. The article, originally from USA TODAY, reports that the police claim a Connecticut woman kept her stepson captive for 20 years.
