A man in Connecticut, who was allegedly held captive by his stepmother for two decades, managed to escape by starting a fire in the small room where he was confined. Authorities responded to the fire and rescued the 32-year-old man, who was severely emaciated, from the cramped 72 square-foot room. Upon his escape, the man weighed only 68 pounds and required treatment for smoke inhalation.
Police in Waterbury, Connecticut, revealed that the man had endured years of abuse, starvation, neglect, and inhumane treatment at the hands of his stepmother. She has been charged with kidnapping and cruelty, although she denies the allegations. The man told authorities that he set the fire because he wanted his freedom after being subjected to extreme conditions for so long.
Prosecutors stated that the man was given minimal food and only allowed out of the room for two hours a day under his stepmother’s supervision. With desperation for freedom, he used hand sanitizer, paper, and a lighter to start the fire, despite the risk to his own life.
The stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, was present at the time of the fire but did not cooperate with authorities. Her attorney insisted that the accusations were untrue, claiming she provided food and shelter without restraining him. Nonetheless, Ms. Sullivan was arrested following the incident.
The victim disclosed to police that he had been confined in his family home in Waterbury since he was around 11 years old, following his father’s death. When he was finally rescued, he had a dangerously low BMI of 11 and had not received medical or dental care during his captivity.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo described the case as heartbreaking and unimaginable. The victim had been striving to escape the room for 20 years, and it was only through the dangerous act of setting fire that he was able to gain his freedom from the harrowing situation.
