Connecticut

Biological mom of Connecticut house of horrors victim slams alleged captor as ‘lowest of the low’

Published

11 months ago

April 26, 2025

Biological mom of Connecticut house of horrors victim slams alleged captor as ‘lowest of the low’

The biological mom of the man who was allegedly locked away and starved for two decades slammed his tormentor as the “lowest of the low,” and will only refer to the wicked stepmother as an “it.”

Tracy Vallerand, who lost custody of her son as an infant, reiterated her wish to see accused captor Kimberly Sullivan locked behind bars as she awaits trial, saying she poses too much of a flight risk to have been awarded bail.

“He needs justice, and he needs to know that people are here for him,” Vallerand said of her son in an interview with Fox News.

“Right now, he’s 32 years old, so he has all the say. My God, he’s 32, and he needs to learn to live his life. That is sad on so many different levels.”

Sullivan was released on $300,000 bond last month in spite of horrifying allegations she locked her stepson in a small room for up to 22 hours per day — leaving him so hungry and thirsty, he’d drink out of the toilet.

Her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, filed a motion this week to have the ankle monitor requirement dropped, a move Vallerand vehemently opposed.

“He’s doing a good job for her, but he’s literally at the bottom of the barrel with the clientele that he has. But it’s the lowest of the low that [Kaloidis] aims to be representing, which is pretty sad. I wouldn’t be able to close my eyes at night doing that,” Vallerand said.

Vallerand had been trying to reconnect with her son since he turned 18, but was unable to find any trace of him on the internet, she claimed.

The boy’s father, who was awarded sole custody, was not technologically savvy, so Vallerand optimistically hoped he had taken after his dad in that regard.

“Well, I mean, things that go through your head where you can’t find somebody who’s an adult, especially nowadays on social media, it’s very rare that you would actually find zero carbon footprints,” she told the outlet.

“Did he run away? What else? So many things go through your head. Now, in this case, he didn’t have any death records, so I knew he was still alive.”

Vallerand had no inkling her son had been whisked away from the world and locked inside the squalid home for 20 years, withering away until he was just 68 pounds.

The man — whose identity has not been revealed — was so desperate to escape, he lit his prison room on fire, prompting fire officials to race to the home where they uncovered the horrifying abuse.

The victim spoke out for the first time last week, issuing a statement in which he said he is getting stronger by the day.

“I am a survivor of more than 20 years of captivity and domestic abuse. I was held prisoner in my home from the time I was taken out of the fourth grade at age 11 until two months ago at age 31 when I purposely set the fire that helped set me free,” he wrote, calling himself by the initial “S.”

“I am much better and stronger than I was the day the first responders carried me out of my home. I am beyond grateful for the care I have received since then. To all the health care professionals who have helped and nurtured me, thank you. In addition to all of your care, I appreciated the chance to have my first ever birthday party to celebrate turning 32.”

Sullivan has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and kidnapping.

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Connecticut

Early morning forecast for March 12

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9 minutes ago

March 12, 2026

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Connecticut

Hundreds of people flood public hearing on Connecticut vaccine bills

Published

12 hours ago

March 11, 2026

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Hundreds of people flood public hearing on Connecticut vaccine bills

Hundreds of people signed up to speak out about two controversial bills dealing with vaccines in Connecticut.

Opponents are concerned that the bills will lead to government overreach, while supporters say the bills simply ensure that people who want to get vaccinated still have access.

“I don’t want to be told what to do. It’s my body, my choice,” said Joe Murphy of Meriden.

From people gathered outside the state Legislative Office Building in Hartford to those inside, many voiced their opposition to proposals related to vaccines.

“We just want transparency in government. We want them to listen to what we’re here to say,” said Katerina Bouzakis of Wolcott.

Hundreds of people signed up to speak about the vaccine legislation. Democrats say the plans help make sure people can get the vaccines they want.

“It was very clear from the conversation that we’re having a lot of people who are here have misinformation about what the bill does,” said Sen. Saud Anwar (D–South Windsor).

Under these two bills, state recommendations for immunization would be based on a broader group of experts, not just a CDC advisory group that was overhauled by the Trump Administration and has recently been making changes to vaccines.

Lawmakers say the state proposals would help with insurance coverage, and any updates would still have to go through a regulatory process.

“Passing this law will allow us to maintain our current access and purchasing power,” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, Public Health Commissioner. “I want to be very clear that this bill in no way institutes any new vaccine mandates for children or adults.”

Opponents also worry about how the bills might impact a fight to restore religious exemptions for school vaccinations. And they also pushed back on the decision to cut off the hearing.

“Democracy does not end at 12:15 a.m. this morning. It continues on,” said Sen. Heather Somers (R – Groton). “I think that this is an absolute gross overreach of the majority party that doesn’t want your voices to be heard.”

Republicans say they will continue to listen to comments even after the official hearing ends.

Democrats argue that, compared to other places in the country, 14 hours is a long time for a public hearing on this issue, and that previously, when it came up here, about 40% of the speakers were from out of state.

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Connecticut

Study: Late-Night Gamers in Connecticut Are Dragging Down Productivity

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2026

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Study: Late-Night Gamers in Connecticut Are Dragging Down Productivity

According to a study published by Win.gg, all those late-night gaming sessions aren’t just wrecking your sleep—they’re wrecking Connecticut’s bottom line. Yeah, apparently your midnight raid or Fortnite grind comes with a side of lost productivity, and it adds up fast.

Win.gg surveyed 2,000 working gamers across the U.S., then crunched the numbers with data from the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results? Roughly 47% of employed gamers in Connecticut admit they’re dragging the next day after a late-night session. On average, that translates to about 2.6 hours of work that… well, never really happens. If you put a dollar figure on it, that’s about $104 lost per worker in a single day. Multiply that by the state, and we’re looking at a staggering $74 million in lost productivity. Yup, you read that right—$74 million just because people stayed up too late chasing loot or finishing that last level.

Read More: Three Arrested for Burglary in New Fairfield

It’s not just your career that’s taking a hit, either. Gamers in the state report cutting their sleep by an average of 1.8 hours to fit in those extra hours of gaming. And we all know what happens when you skimp on sleep: coffee consumption goes up, focus goes down, and suddenly responding to emails feels like decoding hieroglyphics.

So, what does this mean for Connecticut? Employers are essentially paying for productivity that doesn’t happen, and the state as a whole is bleeding money. But let’s be real—nobody’s about to stop gaming. If anything, this is a reminder that maybe those late-night raids are best saved for the weekend, or at least capped so the Monday grind doesn’t feel like a marathon through molasses.

If you want to dive into all the numbers and methodology, Win.gg has the full breakdown here. But the takeaway is clear: your gaming habit might be costing more than you think—both in sleep and in dollars.

Exploring Beyond the Rusty Gates of Danbury’s Oldest Cemetery on Wooster Street

I live just down the block from the Wooster Street Cemetery and whenever I pass, I am always struck at how odd it is. You have this quiet, beautiful place that is dedicated to the people who were buried there, in the middle of a busy city and almost no one ever goes there. I decided to go take a deeper look around and see what was beyond the iron gates and stone walls.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

7 of the Most Beautiful Towns in the State of Connecticut

Connecticut is overflowing with both manmade and natural beauty. In some places, the two intersect to create a magical, almost fictional feel. Here are 7 Connecticut Towns that look like they came straight from a storybook.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

Top 10 Chain Restaurants with the Most Locations in Connecticut

The other day the boys and I were talking about KFC’s new “gravy flights,” and it got me wondering—do you know which fast-food chain has the most locations in Connecticut? None of us did, so I looked it up.

The top of the list is mostly what you’d expect, but there are a few surprises. Here’s a look at the Top 10 Chain Restaurants with the Most Locations in Connecticut according to Stacker

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

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