More than $112,000 has been raised for the 32-year-old man who was allegedly held captive in his step-mother’s Connecticut home for more than 20 years before he set the house on fire to escape.
At least 2,000 people have already donated to the online fundraiser started by Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury to raise $120,000. to support the now-32-year-old “who endured unimaginable hardship.”
The cash will help cover costs for his medical and dental care, counseling and therapy for emotional and physical recovery, housing and living expenses and legal fees so he “can pursue justice for the abuse he suffered.”
The house where the crimes allegedly occurred in Waterbury, Connecticut. Douglas Healey for NY Post
More than $112,000 has been raised for the 32-year-old man. Gofundme“Every donation, no matter how small, will help give this survivor a chance to heal, rebuild, and find peace,” the fundraiser promises.
The victim — whose name has not been publicly released — told authorities he spent the last two decades locked in a 9-by-8-foot storage space in the dilapidated Waterbury home, where he was deprived of food and water to the point he had to eat out of garbage cans and drink toilet water to survive.
He weighed just 69 pounds, with witnesses saying he looked like he’d just stepped out of a concentration camp.
The abuse the man allegedly endured at the hands of his stepmother left law enforcement officials to call it “the worst treatment of humanity that I’ve ever witnessed.”
He finally made his breakout attempt on Feb. 17 when he deliberately set the house on fire using hand sanitizer, printer paper and a lighter he found in his late father’s hand-me-downs.
When the fire department responded to the scene, they rescued the emaciated man — who weighed a shockingly gaunt 68 pounds. He was treated for smoke inhalation.
A look inside the house where the victim was held for 20 years. Douglas Healey for NY Post
The man finally escaped on Feb. 17 when he deliberately set the house on fire. Waterbury Fire DepartmentInvestigators also discovered a room in the house that appeared to have exterior locks on the door when they learned from the 32-year-old man had been held there since he was 11 years old.
“I wanted my freedom,” he told them.
His stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, was arrested last week and is facing charges including first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Kimberly Sullivan stands next to her attorney Jason Spilka during a bond hearing Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Waterbury Superior Court. AP
Sullivan faces a slew of charges including kidnapping and assault. APShe was released a day later after posting $300,000 bail.
Her attorney said she plans to plead not guilty at her next court appearance, scheduled for March 26.
