A severely emaciated man weighing just 68 pounds set his Connecticut home on fire last month to try to escape the room he had been held captive in for over two decades. After alerting authorities to his situation by starting the blaze, the victim explained to investigators that he was usually deadbolted in his room, only being let out briefly each day to eat. He attempted to fix a light bulb in the kitchen but was locked back up by his stepmom when he failed, which prompted him to set the fire close to the door using hand sanitizer, paper, games, and a lighter that he had found a year earlier. He knew this would force his stepmom to call the fire department and allow him to be rescued.
The victim was aware of the risks of setting the fire, but felt it was his only way out of the nightmare. He recounted to investigators how after starting the blaze, he yelled for help, prompting his stepmom to finally unlock the door. When she did, he pretended that a radio he was allowed to keep had malfunctioned, not wanting first responders to see his true appearance. His sister and her boyfriend also arrived at the home along with fire crews, and his stepmom allegedly told them to get a screwdriver to remove the locks from the door. Despite collapsing repeatedly, the victim remained on the ground to ensure the fire department would have to rescue him.
Following the victim’s harrowing account, an investigation revealed that he had been held in captivity for over 20 years, experiencing severe neglect and abuse. The victim’s condition was compared to that of a survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp due to the extreme emaciation and mistreatment he had endured. His stepmom, who proclaimed her innocence, was arrested and charged with numerous offenses including assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty, and reckless endangerment. The victim explained that he deliberately started the fire because he wanted his freedom and feared it was his only way out of the years-long pattern of alleged torture and abuse.
Court documents detailed the victim’s daily routine, which consisted of being locked in his 8-by-9-foot room for hours on end, only being allowed to eat two sandwiches and a snack each day. On the day of the fire, he was momentarily let out to fix a light bulb but was quickly locked back up by his stepmom. When she closed her bedroom door for the night at about 8 p.m., the victim decided to start the blaze using items he had found in his room. He admitted to intentionally letting the fire grow to the point where it couldn’t be put out by his stepmom in order to prompt her to call for help.
Despite knowing the risks involved in setting the fire, the victim believed it was his only chance to break free from the years of captivity and abuse he had endured. After collapsing multiple times and pretending that a radio he was allowed to keep had malfunctioned to hide his true condition from first responders, he was finally rescued from the burning home. The victim’s ordeal led to an investigation that uncovered the extent of the abuse he had suffered for more than two decades, ultimately resulting in charges being brought against his stepmom for her alleged role in his captivity. The victim’s courageous actions in starting the fire to seek help shed light on the horrific conditions he had been forced to endure.
