Connect with us

Connecticut

Bodycam in Connecticut house of horrors shows suspect after stepson's fiery escape

Published

on

Bodycam in Connecticut house of horrors shows suspect after stepson's fiery escape


Join Fox News for access to this content

You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Having trouble? Click here.

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. 

Advertisement

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)

Advertisement

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. 

Advertisement

“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. 

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

That warrant also says that Sullivan’s stepson told them he set the fire on purpose, because he wanted his freedom. 

“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

Advertisement

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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

Advertisement

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

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. 



Source link

Advertisement

Connecticut

A Character-Rich Family Home in Connecticut That Bridges Past and Present

Published

on

A Character-Rich Family Home in Connecticut That Bridges Past and Present


When a house has been loved for generations, its walls tend to hold stories. In the case of one family residence in Darien, Connecticut, that sentiment was taken quite literally. On the casement between the living room and kitchen are ticks that denote decades of growth, a quiet record of childhoods unfolding in real time. Several of those measurements belong to the home’s newest steward—the original owners’ daughter—who was ready to put her own mark on the property.

Eager to see what she could make of the 1930s structure, she and her husband tapped British-born designer Becca Casey of Connecticut-based Becca Interiors to breathe new life—and old soul—into the interior. For Casey, being entrusted with that kind of emotional patina was a privilege she didn’t take lightly. “The greatest challenge was ensuring that the new extension had synergy with the original house while bringing together the couple’s different tastes and honoring the home’s history,” Casey says of the 2,400-square-foot space.

There was a strong desire to preserve the home’s character and the memories it holds.

That delicate balance shows up everywhere, from tailored silhouettes and clean lines for him to pattern and color for her. Nowhere is that nuance more evident than in the property’s oldest room, a long, beam-lined living space that once sat largely unused. Casey swathed it in an atmospheric mural, transforming it into a multi-zone haven centered on the fireplace, with moments of repose throughout where the family can gather to play a game or enjoy a book.

Advertisement

Around the home, Casey’s eye for nuance is unmistakable. She wields color, pattern, and shape with equal aplomb, expertly marrying form with function in a way that’s both timeless and fresh. A hidden television disappears behind drapery-lined cabinetry, the inner skeleton of an armchair is displayed like a work of art, a vintage dining table reveals a plaque from the husband’s hometown (a serendipitous discovery that made the piece instantly meaningful). In the end, reviving the dwelling wasn’t about reinvention for Casey—it was about the possibility that a new chapter can bring. The result is a space that, according to Casey, feels “quietly refined and effortlessly lived-in”—an elegant meeting point between memory and modern family life.

FAST FACTS:

Designer: Becca Casey, Becca Interiors

Location: Darien, Connecticut

The Space: A 1930s colonial with six bedrooms, across 2,400 square feet.


LIVING ROOM

Bare windows and a transportive wallpaper nod to the pastoral landscape.

Advertisement
Kate S Jordan

Chandelier: Lostine. Rug: Stanton. Wallpaper: House of Hackney. Coffee table: Jefferson West. Rug: Stanton Carpet.

The living room is the oldest space in the house, so Casey wanted to honor its bones while streamlining the layout for modern functionality. Custom Dmitriy & Co. sofas—linen on the top, patterned French mattress tufting at the base—typify the union between “his” and “her” tastes.

Cozy sitting area with an armchair and footrest next to a window.
Kate S Jordan

Sconce: Woven Shop. Lamp: Visual Comfort & Co. Chair: custom.

Dining area with a round table and wooden chairs.
Kate S Jordan

Table: custom, Becca Interiors. Chairs: Pottery Barn.

A traditional English roll armchair was tucked into a corner at the request of the husband, whose wish list included a spot to read. Aiming for a “layered floor plan,” with distinct areas for the family’s many needs, Casey added a game table as a visual anchor with a direct sight line to the main entryway of the home.

Advertisement

DEN

An original stone fireplace anchors the family-ready space.

den
Kate S Jordan

Pendant: Woka. Coffee table: LF Collection. Sconce: Hector Finch.

Cozy living room featuring a stone fireplace and vintage decor.
Kate S Jordan

Coffee table: LF Collection. Rug: Woodard Weave. Chik blinds: Joss Graham.

Drenched in French Gray paint by Farrow & Ball and grounded by the original stone fireplace, the den is carefully choreographed to support togetherness, with a custom sectional and hidden TV.


DINING ROOM

The sun-drenched space looks out to the backyard pond.

Advertisement
dining room
Kate S Jordan

Paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball. Chairs: Maison Louis Drucker. Table: antique. Tablecloths: Zara Home, Cabana Home. Pedants: Lightology.

Part of the new addition, the serene dining room is flooded with light, thanks to expansive floor to (almost) ceiling windows. Layered textiles keep the antique table—a happy find, originally made in the husband’s hometown—geared toward casual meals.


PRIMARY BEDROOM

Salvaged beams mimic the look of the originals in the living room.

bedroom
Kate S Jordan

Paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Rug: Lulu and Georgia. Bedding: The Company Store. Dresser: English Farmhouse Furniture.

Inspired by Belgian interiors, the elevated placement of the fireplace isn’t just a design flex—it’s an experiential choice that puts the flames right at eye level when lounging in bed. Beside it, two vintage English armchairs stun with their exposed interior, a Becca Interiors signature touch.

Advertisement

PRIMARY BATH

Natural materials were chosen for their ability to patina over time.

bathroom
Kate S Jordan

Mirror: Rejuvenation. Floor tile: Arto. Wall paint: Slipper Statin, Farrow & Ball. Sconces: O’lampia.

In the primary bathroom, wellness comes through atmosphere rather than gadgets. A Drummonds soaking tub is positioned for prime pond views, with a gray-green base (Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball) that reinforces the room’s soothing palette.


WORKSTATION

Smart features make family management a cinch.

desk
Kate S Jordan

Roman shade: Hunter Douglas. Desk paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Chair: Soho Home. Rug: Merribrook Collection. Flushmount: RW Guild.

Advertisement

To make the most of a hall nook, Casey crafted a compact desk where the wife, a teacher, can grade papers. Labeled drawers store art supplies, while a floor-to-ceiling cabinet (at side) acts as a hub for deliveries.


About the Designer

Becca Casey is the Principal Director and founder of Becca Interiors. Raised in the countryside of Southwest England, her earliest influences were rooted in history, nature, and the quiet beauty of rural life. These foundations continue to shape her design philosophy today, one that blends heritage with modern sensibility while honoring craftsmanship and the beauty of daily life at home.



Source link

Continue Reading

Connecticut

Hartford community grieves men killed in police shootings

Published

on

Hartford community grieves men killed in police shootings


The Hartford community is grappling with two police shootings that happened within eight days of each other. Both started off as mental health calls about someone in distress.

People came together to remember one of the men killed at a vigil on Wednesday evening.

With hands joined, a prayer for peace and comfort was spoken for the family of Everard Walker. He was having a mental health crisis when a family member called 211 on Feb.19.

Two mental health professionals from the state-operated Capitol Regional Mental Health Center requested Hartford police come with them to Walker’s apartment on Capitol Avenue.

Advertisement

A scuffle ensued, and police said it looked like Walker was going to stab an officer. The brief fight ended with an officer shooting and killing Walker.

The family is planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

“All I will have now is a tombstone and the voicemails he left on my phone that I listen over and over again at night just so I can fall asleep,” Menan Walker, one of Walker’s daughters, said.

City councilman Josh Michtom (WF) is asking whether police could have acted differently.

“To me, the really concerning thing is why the police were there at all, why they went into that apartment in the way that they did, in the numbers that they did,” he said.

Advertisement

The president of Hartford’s police union, James Rutkauski, asked the community to hold their judgment and wait for a full investigation by the Inspector General’s office to be completed.

A different tone was taken in a statement released about another police shooting on Blue Hills Avenue on Feb. 27.

Rutkauski said the union fully supports the officer who fired at 55-year-old Steven Jones, who was holding a knife during a mental health crisis.

In part, the union’s statement says that Jones “deliberately advanced on the officer in a manner that created an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. This was a 100% justified use of deadly force.”

The Inspector General’s office will determine if the officer was justified following an investigation.

Advertisement

The officer who shot Jones was the fourth to arrive on the scene. Three others tried to get him to drop the knife, even using a taser, before the shooting.

“It just feels like beyond the conduct of any one officer, we have this problem, which is that we send cops for every problem,” Michtom said. “I don’t know how you can de-escalate at the point of a gun.”

Jones died from his injuries on Tuesday.  

The union’s statement went on to say that officers should not be society’s default for mental health professionals. The statement said in part, “We ask for renewed commitment from our legislators to remove police from being the vanguard of what should be a mental health professional response.”

The officers involved in both shootings are on administrative leave.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Connecticut

Connecticut Launches New Era for Community Hospital Care – UConn Today

Published

on

Connecticut Launches New Era for Community Hospital Care – UConn Today


Marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting and attended by Governor Ned Lamont, state legislators, Waterbury officials, and community leaders, UConn Health celebrated the acquisition of Waterbury Hospital which as of today is now the UConn Health Waterbury Hospital.

“This is a defining moment for healthcare in Connecticut,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health Community Network.  “We now have the opportunity to take the award -winning academic quality and service of UConn Health and share it with the wonderful employees, doctors and community of Waterbury.”

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont described the initiative as a forward-looking investment in the future of healthcare access across Connecticut.

“Connecticut is leading with innovation,” said Connecticut Governor Lamont. “The UConn Health Community Network reflects a proactive approach to strengthening community-based care by connecting it directly to the capabilities of our state’s public academic medical center. What begins in Waterbury today, represents a new model designed to expand opportunity, access, and excellence for communities statewide.”

Advertisement

In addition to UConn Health Waterbury Hospital, the Network includes UConn Health Community Network Medical Group and UConn Health Waterbury Health at Home. The model preserves each member’s local identity and will grow thoughtfully over time to improve quality, expand access, and reduce the total cost of care. 

“This reflects a bold step forward in how we think about healthcare in Connecticut,” said John Driscoll, Chair of the UConn Health Board of Directors. “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new approach to community-based care. We move forward with clarity of purpose and shared commitment to serve our communities better together.”

 Comptroller Sean Scanlon highlighted the significance of the model for the long-term evolution of healthcare delivery in Connecticut. 

“This partnership represents thoughtful leadership at a pivotal time for healthcare,” said Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon. “By aligning community hospitals with academic medicine, Connecticut is building a modern framework that positions our healthcare system to meet the needs of patients today and into the future.”

Advertisement

“Hosting this celebration on our campus is deeply meaningful for our staff, physicians and the families we serve,” said Deborah Weymouth, President of UConn Health Waterbury Hospital. “Waterbury’s legacy of care continues, and we are tremendously proud to have a strong partner who is deeply committed to our community and help lead this next chapter for healthcare.”

Welcome UConn Health Waterbury Hospital!



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending