A man started a fire in an attempt to escape from a room in which he had been held captive for more than 20 years, police in Waterbury said.

A Waterbury woman is accused of holding her stepson captive for 20 years and providing little water and little food during that time. The investigation started last month when the man, who is now 32, set a fire to escape, according to police. The state prosecutor called the case “something out of a horror movie.”