Connecticut
Man describes shocking living conditions he endured during 20-year home captivity: 'Unimaginable'
New details have emerged in the shocking story of a 32-year-old Connecticut man allegedly held captive in a single room by his father and stepmother for 20 years.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested Wednesday, nearly a month after Waterbury police and firefighters responded to a fire the man lit inside the home Feb. 17.
While receiving medical care after the fire, the 32-year-old said he had been held captive in the home since he was 11 years old.
“I wanted my freedom,” he told first responders.
Police take Kimberly Sullivan into custody Wednesday to face charges of kidnapping and cruelty for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson captive for more than 20 years. (Waterbury Police Department via AP)
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The Waterbury Police Department Major Crimes Unit and Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office launched an extensive investigation that found the man endured prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment, according to a statement from the department.
Subsequent arrest warrants revealed the man was locked inside a room nearly 24 hours each day without heat or air conditioning, The Associated Press reported.
He was also provided two sandwiches and two bottles of water on a daily basis, which he rationed for soapless baths, according to the report.
Kim Sullivan, who is charged with neglect, stands with her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, right, during her arraignment Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)
When he was found, the man weighed just 69 pounds, standing at 5-foot-9, the AP reported. Having no access to a bathroom, he funneled his waste through straws that led to a window.
Police noted the man was starving while still attending school, often stealing food and eating out of the garbage, according to the report. When he ate, his teeth would break due to lack of dental care.
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Sullivan was arrested and is charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.
Kimberly Sullivan was charged with kidnapping and cruelty for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson captive for more than 20 years. (Waterbury Police Department via AP)
Her bond was set at $300,000, and she was later released by the Connecticut Department of Corrections.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo called the suffering the man endured “heartbreaking and unimaginable,” noting the man has since been diagnosed with PTSD and depression.
While authorities are investigating how the man fell through the cracks as a child, Spagnolo told the AP police only had two interactions with the family, both in 2005.
Police responded to reports of a fire at a residence on 2 Blake St. in Waterbury, Conn. (Google Maps)
One call was a welfare check prompted by reports from classmates. Another was after the family filed a harassment complaint against school officials for reporting them to state child welfare officials, according to the report.
Officers noted there was no cause for concern, Spagnolo told the AP.
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) said it is continuing to look for records of agency involvement, according to the report. However, unsubstantiated reports of neglect or abuse are erased five years after the conclusion of the investigation.
Kim Sullivan stands between her attorneys Jason Spilka, left, and Ioannis Kaloidis during her arraignment Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)
“We are shocked and saddened for the victim and at the unspeakable conditions he endured,” the department said in a statement to the AP. “The now adult victim has shown incredible strength and resilience during this time of healing and our hearts go out to him.”
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Tom Pannone, former principal of the defunct Barnard Elementary School in Waterbury, told NBC Connecticut administrators reported the alleged abuse to police and “not a damn thing was done.”
The Waterbury Police Department, Waterbury Public Schools and Connecticut DCF did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Connecticut
Iranian Yale scholar in Connecticut celebrates fall of regime, calls for free elections
HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Thousands of Connecticut families with ties to Iran are watching and waiting as their home country undergoes a historic change.
Among them is Ramin Ahmadi, a Yale doctor, human rights activist and founder of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. He has spent decades advocating for freedom in Iran from his home in Connecticut.
Ahmadi moved to the United States when he was 18. On Saturday morning, he learned of military strikes in Iran and the death of the country’s supreme leader.
Ahmadi said protests for democracy and human rights in Iran intensified in December, drawing millions of participants — including his own family and friends.
“The situation in Iran was a humanitarian emergency and it needed an intervention,” Ahmadi said.
He said he celebrated when he heard the news Saturday morning.
“I was celebrating along with all other Iranians inside and outside the country,” Ahmadi said. “I do regret that we cannot bring him to a trial for crimes that he has committed against humanity.”
Ahmadi said he spoke with his sister in Iran after she celebrated in the streets. She was later told to return home for her safety.
He shared a message she relayed from those around her.
“They said do not let our death be exploited because worse than that is having to live with the criminals who have done this to us for the rest of our lives,” Ahmadi said. “We do not want to do that.”
For those questioning whether the conflict was America’s to engage in, Ahmadi offered a direct response.
“We will all be affected,” he said. “And to those that tell you that the U.S. and Israel are beating the drums of war in Iran, one has to remind them that it was not like before this Iranian people were listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor. We had a war already declared on us by this regime. We were being slaughtered on a daily basis.”
Ahmadi said he believes the path forward begins with young military officers forcing out what remains of the regime, followed by free elections.
“Everyone’s life will be safer in the future and not just Iranians,” Ahmadi said.
Connecticut lawmakers are also responding to the U.S. strikes on Iran.
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.
Connecticut
Two people shot in New Haven restaurant Saturday evening
New Haven police say two people were shot at a restaurant on Grand Avenue Saturday evening.
One of the victims was a 22-year-old male from East Haven who was shot in the leg and was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital for treatment.
According to police, the second victim was a 17-year-old male and arrived shortly after.
While on scene, police confirmed one of the possible shooters was still inside the restaurant.
According to police, the victims were both inside the restaurant when the teen was approached by Naguea Bratton and another suspect.
They say a fight occurred which resulted in both victims being shot.
Police detained Bratton who was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of illegal possession of a high-capacity magazine and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Bratton is being held on a $200,000 bond.
Both victims have non-life-threatening injuries police say.
They say additional arrests are expected to be completed by warrant.
Connecticut
27 Wrestlers Named State Open Wrestling Champions In Connecticut Over Weekend; Xavier Dominates Tournament
Over the weekend, the two-day CIAC State Open wrestling championships took place at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
Twenty-seven wrestlers (14 boys, 13 girls) were named champions in their respective weight classes, displaying intense wrestling featuring the best wrestlers across the state.
Championship bouts started around 4:15 p.m. on Saturday and lasted about two hours.
Below are the results from both the boys’ and girls’ state open championships.
106 lbs.: Xavier’s Josh Perez def. Stafford’s John Bean 17-2 (technical fall)
113 lbs.: Ridgefield’s Cole Desiano def. Suffield/Windsor Locks’ Peter Annis 8-0 (decision)
120 lbs.: Xavier’s Zack Dixon def. Somers’ Will Acorsi 12-0 (majority decision)
126 lbs.: Windham’s Delmazio Despard def. Xavier’s Alexander Depratti 4-3 (decision)
132 lbs.: Fairfield Warde’s Jude Grammatico def. Xavier’s Zaphyr Musshorn 2-1 (decision)
138 lbs.: Ledyard’s Lukas Boxley def. Terryville’s Ethan Bochman Rodriguez (pin)
144 lbs.: Xavier’s Braylon Gonzalez def. Ridgefield’s John Carrozza 3-1 (decision)
150 lbs.: Bristol Central’s Alex Lamarre def. Middletown’s Isaiah McDaniel 1-0 (decision)
157 lbs.: Newtown’s Antonio Arguello def. Notre Dame-West Haven’s Riley Storozuk 8-4 (decision)
165 lbs.: Gilbert/Torrington/Wolcott def. Trumbull’s Hubert Szymko 2-0 (decision)
175 lbs.: Xavier’s Vincent Rivera def. Fairfield Prep’s Jack Lilly 14-10 (decision)
190 lbs.: Xavier’s Chase Catalano def. Fairfield Warde’s Dylan O’Brien 2-1 (decision)
215 lbs.: Lyme-Old Lyme’s Taiyo Gemme def. Staples’ Julian Rousseau (pin)
285 lbs.: Shelton’s Chase Galke def. Ellington’s Jacob Palermo 3-0 (decision)
100 lbs.: South Windsor’s Sophia Gordon def. West Haven’s Isha Khanna (pin)
107 lbs.: RHAM’s Brooke Heffernan def. New Milford’s Clara Reynolds 9-2 (decision)
114 lbs.: Branford’s Ava Gambardella def. Jonathan Law’s Selena Batres 6-0 (decision)
120 lbs.: Trumbull’s Jillian Blake def. Fairfield Warde’s Monica Flores Romero 17-1 (technical fall)
126 lbs.: Ellis Tech’s Adelina Tate def. Fairfield Ludlowe’s Ashlynn Cummings (pin)
132 lbs: Amity’s Eliana Selaris def. Daniel Hand’s Evely Lavigne (pin)
138 lbs.: Stratford’s Winner Tshibombi def. Greenwich’s Gaby Aliaga 22-8 (majority decision)
145 lbs.: Stratford’s Gabriella Kiely def. New Milford’s Josephina Piel (pin)
152 lbs: Bunnell’s Matilda Tote def. Shelton’s Ella Piccirillo (pin)
165 lbs: Trumbull ‘s Marangelie Teixeira def. New Britain’s Kaydence Atkinson (pin)
185 lbs.: Platt’s Kayli Morris def. Bristol Central’s Shyann Bryan (pin)
235 lbs.: Norwalk’s Jeily Euceda def. Maloney’s Arianna Bellamy (pin)
Xavier High School (Middletown, CT) has been the most dominant wrestling program in the state in recent memory. Once again, they stole the show in the state opens, winning its fifth-straight state open title.
The Falcons had seven wrestlers compete out of the 14 state open titles in the boys’ division and had five winners with two runner-ups. As a team, they totaled 218.5 points, which was 72 more points than any other team.
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