A woman has been arrested and charged with captives of her stepson for 20 years.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was tried on Wednesday, March 12 with many disturbing charges including Butt @Ult and kidnapping.
Her 32-year-old stepson, unnamed, set fire on an upstairs bedroom in the Waterbury home on February 17.
When the first responders arrived at the fire, they found the thin man, weighing just 68 pounds. Prosecutors said he was rescued “similar to the survivor of Auschwitz.”
When he was treated with smoke inhaled, he confessed to rescuers that he deliberately defined the fire as a means of escape.
I allegedly want my freedom. ”
He said he has been captured since he was 11, an 8-foot x 9-foot room with no heat or air conditioning.
Now, a thorough investigation has led authorities to believe the man “has been imprisoned for more than 20 years and suffered prolonged abuse, hunger, serious neglect and inhumane treatment.”
During this time, he received no medical or dental care.
Chief Fernando Spagnolo said: “The victim suffered more than 20 years and is both heartbreaking and unimaginable.
This case requires unremitting investigation and I commend our officials and the dedication of the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office.
“Their unwavering commitment ensures just service and is fully responsible for these horrible crimes.”
Sullivan held a bond on $300,000 after being arraigned on Wednesday.
Her lawyer, Ioannis Kaloidis, said Sullivan intends to defend the allegations strongly.
“She insisted she didn’t do what she was accused of,” Kaloidis said.
Don Therksen, the attorney who oversees assistant, describes “the facts of the case” as “frankly, something in a horror movie.”
He added: “That’s no exaggeration.”
According to WFSB, victims ignite fire with some hand disinfectant [and] Some paper for the printer.
The prosecutor told the court during Sullivan’s arraignment that the man was “happy he could die.”
“But he has been locked in the room for 20 years and he has been trying to leave that room.
“He…is similar to the survivor of Auschwitz.”
According to the arrest warrant for Sullivan’s arrest, the living conditions of the victim deteriorated when he died last year.
He told authorities he was given two glasses of water a day but was sometimes forced to drink from the toilet.
Tom Pannone, the principal of the boy’s elementary school, told NBC that “the tragedy of the whole thing” was that when the boy stopped classes, school authorities reminded police.
“We know. We reported it. There is nothing damn thing. ” he said.
Pannone said he and his staff at the closed school noticed the boy looked thin and when investigated, he told the teacher that he was not allowed to eat at home.
“From the age of five, everyone has really cared about this child. You know what’s wrong. This is seriously wrong,” he said.
