A man who was allegedly held captive under the roof of his stepmother 'for 20 years' revealed why he set her home on fire.
Waterbury Police Department and Fire Department officers responded to an active fire at a residence in Connecticut, US, on 17 February.
Property owner Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was evacuated safely, while a 32-year-old man, who appeared to be emaciated, needed help out of the house.
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The man who weighed just 68 pounds admitted to setting the home on fire from his upstairs room because he 'wanted freedom'.
He then alleged that he had been held captive under hellish conditions since the age of 11.
Following an investigation by the Waterbury Police Department Major Crimes Unit, it was 'determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment', allegedly at the hands of Sullivan.
Court documents state that the individual spent 22 hours of the day locked away in a 8-by-9-foot 'back storage space' on the second floor.
The door was bolted shut from the outside, so he couldn't escape.
He also claimed to only receive two cups of water a day and would often drink out of the toilet bowl when feeling thirsty, the New York Post reports.
“When asked if he was hungry every day, he stated, ‘All day, everyday, my entire life,'” the court papers state.
“[The victim] described how after he urinated into a bottle, he would have to then funnel it into a tube he created with a series of straws and then guide those straws through a hole in the window to empty it.”
The stepson was allegedly forced to defecate on old newspaper, 'he would then roll the paper up, tie it with string he unraveled from old T-shirts and eventually bring it to the kitchen garbage when he was let out'.
Sullivan, the prime suspect, was taken into custody on 12 March and was charged with the following:
• Assault in the First Degree
• Kidnapping in the Second Degree
• Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree
• Cruelty to Persons
• Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree
Her bail is set at $300,000 and she's been placed in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.
Waterbury Police Chief, Fernando Spagnolo, said: “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable. This case required relentless investigative effort, and I commend the dedication of our officers and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office.
"Their unwavering commitment ensured that justice is served, and the perpetrator is held fully accountable for these horrific crimes.”
Anish Vij