The Connecticut mother is said to have been captured for decades of “something in a horror movie” before setting the house on fire to escape “inhumanity” and hellish states, authorities said.
Police say 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan was arrested Wednesday and charged with an unthinkable crime about a month after the shocking living arrangements were discovered.
Sullivan fled the house and his 32-year-old son-in-law was kicked out by firefighters on February 17th, according to court documents.
When he was treated for inhaling smoke and exposure to flames, he told his first responder that he intentionally set fire to the crude storage space where he was forced to sleep.
“I wanted my freedom,” he said.
The explosive claim has launched an investigation by police and the Waterbury Lawyer's Office. This, police alleged, discovered that the victim had been jailed for over 20 years, starved, abused, ignored, and faced “inhuman treatment.”
The victims have declined and have not received health and hygiene or dental care for many years, officers said.
He told authorities when he was a little boy living with Sullivan when he was a young boy living with his father and brother. Affidavit obtained by the WFSB.
He also claimed to steal food from others, and even ate trash due to his hunger at elementary school before he was pulled out, the documents said.
The affidavit said the victim was forced to use bottles and newspapers as teenagers and adults when they wanted to use the toilet.
“The facts of this case, frankly, come from a horror film,” said Don Selkilden, an assistant director state lawyer. According to CT Insider. “There's no exaggeration in that.”
He added that the victim ignited “I know he died very well.”
To start the flames, my son-in-law used hand sanitizer, printer paper, and a lighter he discovered in one pocket of his father's jacket, which he passed away a year ago.
When the pair escapes from the flames, the man falls to the ground and stays there, and the firefighters are forced to get him back, stating, believing that “this is the only way to get out of his situation.”
However, Sullivan's lawyers denied the charges in an interview Wednesday night.
“The allegations are horrifying, but that's just that: the allegations.” “They are allegations made by one person who has been barely eradicated by independent evidence.”
Waterbury police released a photo of Sullivan in handcuffs wearing a cross necklace after his arrest Wednesday as he was caught between two investigators.
She is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree lure, first-degree unlawful restraint, atrocities against others, and first-degree reckless danger.
“The suffering that this victim has endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable,” Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagroro said in a statement.
However, Sullivan's lawyer said when he read the list of accusations against his client, “she was blown away and she was left unsure of what was said.”
“She is innocent and she has every intention to defend this case, and we are confident that she will be proven,” added Kaloidos.
He said he had food in the house and was not trapped in the room, he claimed.
“Does he have health issues? I'm sure he'll do that. But she was a stepmother, the person in charge of his care, and a biological father who directed his care,” the lawyer said.
The couple who lives next door said Sullivan and her family were barely protecting themselves and have never seen their son-in-law outside their Blake Street home.
However, Zeffery Guarnera and Suzette Baker said their daughter, now 25, found the boy in the window of a room where fire erupted when she grew up over a decade ago.
“He waved at her, she waved at him, she didn't think about it,” Guarala said. “I haven't seen him since.”
“He was probably about the same age as my daughter,” he added.
“Maybe he's actually a little older… but I think if he looked weak, he might have looked younger. So even investigators say, “Did you see a man who might look like a child?”
“So my daughter is why you might think he was much younger than before.”
Guarnara also said she may have seen the victim do yard work for many years, unaware that she is Sullivan's son-in-law.
Baker said when he saw Sullivan and her two daughters on the block they would only talk about mutual love for animals.
“They just seem good, and that's all we talked about,” she said. “There's nothing personal.”
The judge set Sullivan's bond at $300,000. This said it is likely that Caroigis will be featured on Thursday.
Additional Reports by Doug Healy
