A Connecticut woman is behind bars after being charged with kidnapping her stepson and holding him captive for more 20 years.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested March 12, less than a month after the Waterbury Fire Department responded to a report of an active fire at her home on Feb. 17, the Waterbury Police Department said in a press release.
Sullivan was evacuated safely from the home. But a second resident, a 32-year-old man identified as Sullivan's stepson, suffered smoke inhalation and fire exposure. He had to be assisted out of the home, the release said.
While being treated by emergency personnel, the man revealed that he intentionally started the fire in an effort to free himself from his stepmother who he alleged had held him captive for two decades after kidnapping him when he was 11.
“I wanted my freedom," the man said, according to police.
After the Waterbury Police Department Major Crimes Unit and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office launched an investigation, authorities determined the man's story was true, police said.
The man, who was described as "severely emaciated," had been subjected to "prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment" while in captivity, the release said.
The man told authorities he had not received medical or dental care. Investigators also learned that the man had been fed "only minimal amounts of food and water," which left him "extremely malnourished."
"The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both 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. Their unwavering commitment ensured that justice is served, and the perpetrator is held fully accountable for these horrific crimes," Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said in a statement.
Sullivan was taken into police custody and charged with several felony offenses, including 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.
After being arraigned in court with a bond set at $300,000, Sullivan was put in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.
