'Evil Stepmom' Kimberly Sullivan, 56, Arrested for Allegedly Holding Stepson, Now 32, 'Captive for 20 YEARS' in Grisly 'House of Horrors'
Kimberly Sullivan has been arrested and charged with assault and kidnapping her now 32-year-old stepson.
March 13 2025, Published 2:12 p.m. ET
A Connecticut woman has been busted for holding her stepson captive for 20 years.
RadarOnline.com can reveal details of 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan's arrest, as she's charged with assault and kidnapping for allegedly imprisoning the victim and driving him to set his room on fire in a desperate attempt to escape the nightmare.
Sullivan allegedly held her stepson captive for 20 years, leading the victim to intentionally set a small fire to his small bedroom.
Her 32-year-old stepson, who remains unidentified, set fire to a small upstairs bedroom in their Waterbury home on February 17.
When first responders arrived to extinguish the fire, they discovered an emaciated man weighing only 68 pounds.
Prosecutors described him as looking "like a survivor of Auschwitz's death camp" at the time of his rescue.
The victim has reportedly been denied medical and dental care while being held in captivity.
While receiving treatment for smoke inhalation, he revealed to rescue crews he had deliberately started the fire as a way to escape.
The man allegedly exclaimed: "I wanted my freedom."
The victim claimed he had been imprisoned since around the age of 11 in an 8-foot-by-9-foot room without heat or air conditioning.
Following a detailed investigation, authorities now believe he was held captive for over 20 years, enduring severe abuse, starvation, neglect, and inhumane conditions.
Throughout that period, he was never given any medical or dental care.
Sullivan is currently being held on a $300,000 bond following her arraignment on Wednesday. Her lawyer, Ioannis Kaloidis, said Sullivan plans to fight the charges vigorously.
Kaloidis stated: "She's adamant she did not do the things that she's accused of."
Chief Fernando Spagnolo said: "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."
Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Don Therkildsen called the case "truly something out of a horror movie" – and emphasized how that wasn't an exaggeration.
According to WFSB, the man "lit a fire with some hand sanitizer (and) some paper from a printer."
Prosecutors informed the court during Sullivan's arraignment that the man intentionally set the fire, fully aware it could cost him his life.
They added: "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.
"He was... akin to a survivor of Auschwitz's death camp."
A warrant for Sullivan's arrest revealed the victim's conditions worsened following his father's death last year.
He told authorities he was only given two cups of water a day and at times was forced to drink from the toilet.
The man’s former elementary school principal, Tom Pannone, told NBC "the tragedy of the whole thing" was how school officials notified the police when the boy stopped attending classes.
He said: "We knew it. We reported it. Not a damn thing was done."
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Sullivan is currently being held on a $300,000 bond following her arraignment on Wednesday
Pannone revealed he and his staff were concerned about the boy's health from a young age, noticing he appeared thin and often admitted to not being allowed food at home.
He explained: "Everyone really was concerned with this child since he was five years old. You knew something was wrong. It was grossly wrong."
Teachers would even bring him lunch after seeing him steal food or eat from trash cans. Pannone noted they contacted the Department of Children and Families over 20 times.
He last saw the boy in the early 2000s, and after the boy stopped attending school, Pannone was initially told he transferred but later learned he was being homeschooled.
