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Bodycam footage from the Waterbury Police Department shows suspected Connecticut child abuser Kimberly Sullivan denying that her stepson, who was allegedly locked in a storage closet in their home for 20 years, was imprisoned in the house.
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According to the footage obtained by Fox News Digital, one of Sullivan’s two daughters arrived at the scene shortly after authorities on Feb. 17, when police said her 32-year-old stepson set fire in the house to escape decades of captivity and abuse.
Sullivan’s daughter picked her up in a black Acura, where they waited nearby as firefighters extinguished the blaze, and as Sullivan’s unnamed stepson was rescued from the home.
In the footage, which is partially redacted, Sullivan, 56, explains to an officer what happened after the fire started.
‘MALNOURISHED’ MAN HELD CAPTIVE BY STEPMOM FOR DECADES SET FIRE TO HOME TO ESCAPE: ‘I WANTED MY FREEDOM’
Kimberly Sullivan was arrested after allegedly abusing her stepson in their Waterbury, Connecticut home.(Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)
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She said that she thought the fire started from a TV her stepson plugged into the wall, and said that she came out of her bedroom when she smelled smoke and called out for him.
“I was trying to go into the room but it was just – there were just flames – he came out of the room, eventually woke up and came out of the room,” she said.
Sullivan said that her son couldn’t escape the room because there were flames, but that he must have walked through them eventually.
“Was the door locked on his room, or no?” the officer asked.
“No,” Sullivan replied.
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“OK, is it normally locked?” he asked.
“No,” she answered.
“And he has free rein to go out of there whenever he wants?” the detective asked.
“Yeah,” Sullivan said.
But police allege that Sullivan was lying during that exchange.
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MAN DESCRIBES SHOCKING LIVING CONDITIONS HE ENDURED DURING 20-YEAR HOME CAPTIVITY: ‘UNIMAGINABLE’
This photo provided by the Waterbury Police Department shows Kimberly Sullivan, who was charged Wednesday, March 12, 2025, with kidnapping and cruelty for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson captive for more than 20 years. (Waterbury Police Department via AP)
Sullivan was arrested on March 12 and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment. She is free on $300,000 bond, and pleaded not guilty to all charges on Friday.
According to an arrest warrant for Sullivan, the victim, identified as “Male Victim 1,” was held in a windowless 8-foot by 9-foot storage closet with no air conditioning or heat and without access to a bathroom for 20 years. He was kept inside the closet 22-24 hours per day.
He was allowed two sandwiches and two small water bottles each day, one of which he would use for bathing. He disposed of his waste using water bottles and newspaper. The man weighed less than 70 pounds when first responders found him after the fire.
That warrant also says that Sullivan’s stepson told them he set the fire on purpose, because he wanted his freedom.
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“A CHILD CALLED ‘IT’” AUTHOR SAYS CONNECTICUT HOUSE OF HORRORS CASE IS ‘ATTEMPTED MURDER’
Kimberly Sullivan is taken into custody by the Waterbury Police Department on March 12.(Waterbury Police Department)
Fox News Digital also obtained Sullivan’s distraught 911 call reporting that her house was on fire.
LISTEN: Kimberly Sullivan calls 911 to report house fire
More bodycam footage shows a police officer arriving to the scene and yelling at an unidentified person through a window, telling the person to exit the home.
WATCH: Waterbury officer yells at person to exit burning home
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In a heavily redacted portion of the bodycam footage, police officers can be seen standing outside the ambulance looking in at the victim, who is blurred and being tended to by a paramedic. When audio reemerges from the redaction, one officer tells another that the victim said he hadn’t showered in a year.
WATCH: Kimberly Sullivan’s stepson interviewed by police in ambulance
Another video shows a frantic Sullivan asking to go back into the house to retrieve her purse and her keys, so she can put her dog inside her car.
WATCH: Kimberly Sullivan frantically asks to retrieve purse from burning home
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Police previously released footage showing Sullivan’s stepson being carried out of the home and into an ambulance.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sullivan’s attorney Ioannis Kaloidis through a spokesperson.
Marina Mabrey had a season-high 34 points to lead the Connecticut Sun to their first home win of the season in an 84-76 triumph over the Atlanta Dream.Vera Nieuwenhuis/Associated Press
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Marina Mabrey scored a season-high 34 points and Tina Charles had seven of her 19 points in the final six minutes to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Atlanta Dream 84-76 on Friday night for their first home victory this season.
Mabrey shot 13 for 22 from the field, including 3 for 8 on 3-pointers, and 5 for 6 at the free-throw line for her fourth career 30-point game. She was two points shy of tying her career-high 36 set on June 15, 2023 against Indiana.
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Mabrey scored six points during Connecticut’s 12-2 run to open the third quarter for a 48-37 lead.
Connecticut led 58-45 with 2:40 left in the third before Atlanta went on a 16-4 run to get to 62-61 on Rhyne Howard’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer. But the Dream only had one field goal in the opening five minutes of the fourth to trail 71-64.
The Sun starters finished with 75 points.
Bria Hartley scored 11 points and rookie Saniya Rivers had three steals and two blocks for Connecticut (2-6).
Olivia Nelson-Ododa did not play in the second half due to an ankle injury.
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Howard and Brittney Griner led Atlanta (5-3) with 18 points apiece. Naz Hillmon had 14 points and Allisha Gray added 11.
Brionna Jones, who made her first appearance at Mohegan Sun Arena since playing with the Sun for the first eight years of her career, had seven points and six rebounds.
Mabrey sank a floater in the lane with 0.5 seconds left in the first half to give Connecticut a 36-35 lead. Mabrey, averaging 15 points per game, scored 15 in the first half and Charles had 10 points.
Atlanta had its four-game win streak come to an end.
When I first ran for office, I was one of only two openly gay members of the Connecticut General Assembly. Today, I’m proud to serve as co-chair of a growing LGBTQ+ Caucus, one that’s not only increasing in number but in impact.
That growth matters. Because while we gather this June to mark Pride Month, we do so at a time when LGBTQ+ rights, especially the rights of trans people, are under coordinated attack across the country. Under the current federal administration, we’ve seen efforts to erase LGBTQ+ history from classrooms, target trans youth in healthcare and sports, and target our identities to distract from real issues.
State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan
Connecticut has chosen a different path. We’re showing what it looks like when a state leads with dignity and action, not division.
This year, we passed bipartisan legislation that prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ+ residents in long-term care facilities, ensuring our elders can live openly and receive the care they deserve without hiding who they are. No one should be forced back into the closet just to access basic services.
We also protected funding for the LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network, which provides grants to LGBTQ+ nonprofit, healthcare, and advocacy organizations across the state. The network collaborates with local affinity groups and advocates to inform the legislature on the evolving needs of our community. I’m especially proud of this program, because it was the first bill I introduced and took to the House floor back in 2019.
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But we didn’t stop there. In a year when states are criminalizing gender-affirming care and restricting access to abortion, we passed legislation to shield providers in Connecticut who offer this care. This sends a clear message: if you’re under attack in your home state, Connecticut will stand with you.
And while other states are banning books and threatening librarians, we’re doing the opposite. We advanced legislation to protect public libraries, librarians, and the freedom to access information without intimidation or censorship. We did this because defending free expression and the right to learn is foundational to a healthy democracy and to a truly inclusive society.
For me, Pride is deeply personal. I spent 18 years in the closet, raised by an immigrant father and an Irish Catholic mother. That combination came with its own set of challenges, but today, after many difficult conversations and a lot of growth, they’re two of my biggest supporters. I’m grateful for that, and I know not everyone is so fortunate.
And even within our own community, we don’t always get it right. I’m a gay man, I don’t know what it’s like to be trans or nonbinary, and sometimes I get it wrong. We all do. But we’ve got to give each other the space and grace to keep learning, and to keep showing up.
That’s true for allies, too. Allyship isn’t seasonal. It doesn’t stop at a pin, a post, or a parade. It’s about using your voice when it matters, especially when it’s uncomfortable. It’s about backing up your values with real action, not just words.
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To every LGBTQ+ person across Connecticut and beyond, especially those feeling exhausted, afraid, or unseen right now, I want you to know: you’re not alone. We’re here. We’re fighting for you. And we’re not going anywhere.
We’ve come too far, and the stakes are too high, to go quiet now.
State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan is the Democratic Chief Majority Whip. He represents the 2nd District (Danbury) in the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Tina Charles returned to the Connecticut Sun knowing the franchise was rebuilding. The WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder didn’t care because it was a chance to come full circle with the team that drafted her No. 1 in 2010.
So far on the court it’s been a rough start to the season for the Sun, who have lost six of their first seven games, including suffering the worst defeat in franchise history in their last outing — a 48-point loss to New York.
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“I thought worse off this would happen,” Charles said. “You have whole new players, a new coach, a new system. I knew there was going to be growing pains as a team and as coaches, but I think we’ve been able to have good conversations in the sense of what needs to be our approach.”
It’s not a real surprise that the Sun are struggling. Connecticut lost all five starters from last season’s team that made it to at least the playoff semifinals for the sixth consecutive season. No team in WNBA history has had as much changeover from one year to the next as the Sun have had.
Charles and Marina Mabrey are two of the veteran players on the squad that’s still searching for its identity.
“This is a new cycle for us and we are not a finished product so we had to understand sometimes we have some bad days,” first-year Connecticut coach Rachid Meziane said after the loss to New York. “Try to fix and reduce our mistakes.”
Connecticut has lost its six games by an average of 21.7 points — the worst in the league.
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Even with the struggles, Charles is hoping to be a mentor for some of the younger players such as Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aneesah Morrow. Morrow was the No. 7 pick in the draft this season.
“I get to do what I love. I get to do it back with the organization that believed in me first,” Charles said. “Get to impact them. Just to see the growth within my players, not just as basketball players, but as a woman off the court. That’s really what the goal is. I’m just more so happy that I’m able to impact these guys, especially Olivia and just what her future is going to look like.”
Off the court the team’s future is unclear. The Mohegan Tribe, which owns the franchise, is exploring a potential sale of the team. It hired an investment bank to explore the possibility, which may lead to a relocation of the franchise. If the Sun do end up moving, one potential destination could be Boston. The Sun played a regular-season game there last year that sold out. The team will face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in Boston in July.
The group in Boston that includes former NBA player Michael Carter-Williams, which is interested in getting a franchise in Massachusetts’ capital, declined to comment to The Associated Press at this time when asked if it was interested in buying the Sun.
