The stepson of a Connecticut woman told detectives he had been held captive for two decades, beginning at the age of 11. Although his former principal and elementary school reportedly told authorities about the now-grown man's alleged mistreatment, many turned the other way, including his own relatives, according to charging documents, USA Today reports. Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson in captivity and subjecting him to "prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment," Waterbury police said in a Facebook post. “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable," said Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo. "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.”
Sullivan remains in custody with a $300,000 bond on charges of first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment. "She's never been in trouble. She's never harmed anyone," said Ioannis Kaloidis, Sullivan's attorney. "She denies these allegations, and I would just ask people not to rush to judgment here. We're confident as the facts come out, she will be vindicated." At 3 years old, Sullivan's stepson recalled sneaking out of his room at night to look for leftover food and drink. At this young age, he would begin to be locked in his room during the evenings once wrappings from the food he took were found. The stepson also remembered drinking water from the toilet because he only drank about two cups a day and had to resort to stealing food from children at school or finding his next meal in the garbage. A lock was "always" on the outside of the room he was kept in, he added. "We knew it. We reported it. Not a damn thing was done. That's the tragedy of the whole thing,” Tom Pannone, the former principal of the now-closed Barnard Elementary School, told WNBC.