WATERBURY, CT (WFSB) – A man started a fire in an attempt to escape from a room in which he had been held captive for more than 20 years, police in Waterbury said.
Waterbury police held a news conference Thursday morning to discuss the case.
“33 years in law enforcement [and] this is the worst treatment of humanity that I’ve ever witnessed,” said Chief Fernando Spagnolo, Waterbury police.
The man’s stepmother, 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56.(Waterbury Police Department)
Sullivan faced a judge again on Thursday
Sullivan stood in handcuffs in front of a judge this morning as her terms of probation were argued.
Prosecutors asked for 24/7 surveillance with an ankle monitor. They also asked for her to be confined to her home.
The judge decided on supervised release by a probation officer. That means she will have to frequently report to that person about where she’s going and what she’s doing.
Sullivan’s attorney again said that she is shocked by the allegations and denies them.
“Absolutely shocked, okay? Absolutely appalled by these allegations, absolutely shocked,” said Jason Spilka, Defense Attorney.
He did not comment on how then her stepson ended up in such horrible condition.
“She has denied all of these allegations, extremely strongly and adamantly. But on top of that, all of these allegations speak to one specific complainant. So, these allegations, there is not threat to the whole public,” continued Spilka.
Sullivan’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 26th.
Her lawyer says she will likely not enter a plea on that day.
Police share new information in Thursday news conference
According to Spagnolo, officers investigated Sullivan years ago over treatment of the victim. However, the abuse continued anyway.
“It’s shuttering to think that someone would treat any person, let alone a family member or someone who was entrusted with a guardian or parental figure, in this way,” Spagnolo said.
Police revealed Thursday that they first investigated the family in 2005 when other children told Department of Children and Families workers that they were worried about the victim. The victim had been pulled out of school around that time because they had contacted DCF.
DCF provided a statement on Thursday afternoon.
“We are shocked and saddened for the victim and at the unspeakable conditions he endured. The now adult victim has shown incredible strength and resilience during this time of healing and our hearts go out to him.
As a result, the Department of Children and Families has looked extensively at our current and historical databases and, to date, have been unable to locate any records pertaining to this family nor any records connected to the names of others who have indicated they made reports to our Department. In accordance with state regulation, it should also be noted that reports of neglect and abuse that have been investigated and not substantiated are expunged 5 years after completion of the investigation provided there are no other substantiated reports.
We will continue our search and ask anyone with additional information to contact the Waterbury Police Department.
These horrors serve as a reminder that it takes the diligent efforts of all members of the community – family, friends, neighbors, and professionals – to protect children from abuse and neglect.
A reasonable suspicion of child maltreatment can be made to the Child Abuse and Neglect Careline by dialing 1-800-842-2288. The Careline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Callers to the Careline can remain anonymous.
As additional information is learned, the Department will be as transparent as possible while working within the parameters of both federal and state confidentiality laws.”
Sullivan managed to hide the abuse, police said.
“Officers went to the house. It was clean, it was lived in,” Spagnolo said. “They spoke to the victim at that time and there [was] no cause for any alarm, or any conditions that existed that would have led officers to believe anything other than a normal childhood.”
Police also went to the house because the family wanted to file a harassment complaint against members of the school district, saying they were continuously reporting them to DCF.
A DCF spokesperson told Channel 3 that records pertaining to the family are unavailable.
Police just recently learned that the abuse continued after they left.
“There’s a lot of physical therapy that he’ll have to go through,” Spagnolo said. “There’s a lot of healing that he’ll have to go through mentally.”
The most recent investigation began in February
Police said they were called to the home on Feb. 17 for a report of an active fire at a home on Blake Street in Waterbury.
They said two people were home at the time. The owner of the home, Sullivan, was able to safely evacuate.
A 32-year-old man, later identified as Sullivan’s stepson, had to be helped out of the home by the Waterbury Fire Department.
Police said he suffered smoke inhalation and exposure to the fire.
When speaking to first responders, he said he had intentionally set the fire in his upstairs room.
“I wanted my freedom,” he told them.
“He lit a fire with some hand sanitizer, some paper from a printer, and he lit that fire while he was locked in that room from the outside. He lit that fire very well knowing he could die, but he had been locked in the room for 20 years, and for 20 years he’d been trying to get out of that room,” said a prosecutor in court on Wednesday.
He also said that he had been held captive by Sullivan since he was approximately 11 years old.
Kimberly Sullivan was escorted by Waterbury detectives on March 12, 2025 following her arrest on kidnapping and cruelty to persons charges, police said.(Waterbury police)
“Absolutely not true. He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in anyway,” Sullivan’s attorney argued. “She provided food and she provided shelter and she was blown away by these allegations. Absolutely not.”
When the man was taken to the hospital, he only weighed about 68 pounds, police said. He also was forced to drink toilet water.
“He was, without exaggeration, akin to a survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp,” the prosecutor said.
The Office of the Child Advocate announced that they will be doing a preliminary review of the case.
What the warrant revealed
An investigation was launched.
“Detectives determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment,” police said. “He was found in a severely emaciated condition and had not received medical or dental care during this time.”
He was also provided with only minimal amounts of food and water which led to his extremely malnourished condition.
He told police he would be given only two cups of water a day and was sometimes forced to drink out of the toilet.
He was held in an 8 foot by 9 foot room.
According to Sullivan’s arrest warrant, the man was only allowed outside to do chores for his stepmother. Eventually, however, he was allowed to let their dog out, which meant that he was outside of the room for about a minute a day.
He was pulled out of school in 4th grade. He told police that he had no contact with anyone outside of his home.
The warrant said that the last two reports of well being checks were from April 2005.
He said the last time he left the house was with his father when he was 14 or 15 years old.
According to the arrest warrant, he told police the threat of losing the minimal food he was given and longer lockdowns kept him from trying to break out.
Read the entire warrant below:
The man also said that only his stepmother, his now deceased father, two half sisters, and deceased grandmother knew of his situation.
Sullivan was arraigned in court on Wednesday. Her bond was set at $300,000.
She has been released on bail.
The victim continued to receive treatment at a medical facility.
“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.”
It was also found that Sullivan had filed for bankruptcy in 2007, reporting $25,000 in credit card debt. She listed a 13-year-old son as a dependent at the time.
Neighbors were shocked to learn of the situation
Zeffery Guarnera was home the night of the Feb. 17 fire. He said he had never seen the victim.
“I just thought it was an accident, and then when the investigator started asking me about a man that may look like a child, I was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’” Guarnera said.
However, his step daughter claimed that she saw the man in the window more than a decade ago.
“In the backyard, I was just on the swing set and I looked up at the back window, and I just saw a little boy there, or it looked like a little boy to me, and he just smiled and waved at me and I waved back, and when I turned my head and looked back from the window, he was gone,” said Shae Baker, one of the neighbors.
Both neighbors said they were shaken up by the news of what happened.
“I was very shocked,” Baker said. “I think I’ve kind of convinced myself that maybe I did just make him up all those years ago, but I just hope he gets the help that he needs to heal from everything. If you were at that window and you don’t tap on the window and scream or do something to ask for help that you had to resort to this, I can’t imagine how horrible his conditions were.”
One uncle said that he’s been estranged from the family for decades and hadn’t seen the victim since 2005.
He did tell police that about 10 years ago, he spoke to a private investigator who suggested going to VITA Statistics to look for a death certificate.
Governor Lamont also weighed in on the situation, calling it horrifying and vowing to get to the bottom of what happened.
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