The man – whose name has not been disclosed – was found locked in a tiny room
A woman from Connecticut has been charged with assault, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment after a 32-year-old man was found locked in a tiny room last month.
Firefighters rushed to a home in Waterbury, Connecticut, after a desperate man set a fire in an attempt to escape what he claims was more than two decades of captivity at the hands of his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan.
Severely malnourished and emaciated, the man—who has not been publicly identified—alleges he has been imprisoned in a tiny room since the age of 11, surviving on just two cups of water and two sandwiches a day. He was reportedly only allowed out to perform household chores and received no medical or dental care for 20 years.
On Thursday, March 13, authorities charged Sullivan with assault, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, reckless endangerment, and cruelty to persons. Meanwhile, the victim is receiving urgent medical treatment at a specialized facility.
His harrowing ordeal dates back to childhood, when he scavenged for food from school rubbish bins before being pulled out of school in the fourth grade—never to be seen again.
Tom Pannone, a former school principal, revealed that teachers had long suspected abuse and had reported their concerns multiple times, but no action was taken.
“We knew it. We reported it. Not a damn thing was done,” Pannone told NBC News. “Everyone was really concerned about this child since he was five years old. You knew something was wrong. It was grossly wrong. You don’t just disappear off the face of the earth at 10 years old.”
After the boy was pulled from school, Pannone was told he had been enrolled at another institution. Later, he was informed the child was being homeschooled. However, the truth of the boy’s captivity remained hidden for years.
Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo expressed his disbelief, stating, “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable.” According to an arrest warrant, investigators discovered a slide bolt lock securing the door of the room from the outside—evidence of the stepmother’s extreme measures to keep the boy confined.
As news of the abuse spread, neighbors were left in shock.
“We probably saw that guy three times outside,” one neighbor shared with NBC, her voice trembling. “I’m trembling right now just thinking about it because I can remember his face.”
“Never seen a stepson, never,” another neighbor added, voicing the collective disbelief at what had been happening right under their noses.
In defense of his client, Sullivan’s lawyer, Ioannis Kaloidis, told NBC that she shouldn’t be viewed as the “villain” she is being portrayed as.
“She’s not the villain she is being made out to be,” Kaloidis insisted. “He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in any way. She provided food, she provided shelter. She is blown away by these allegations.”
Despite the gravity of the charges, Sullivan is due to return to court at the end of the month for further proceedings.
