A Connecticut man whose stepmother allegedly held him captive for 20 years escaped by setting fire to the small room he was held in, officials said.

An emaciated man, 32, says he was held in his room for 20 years and set it on fire to gain his freedom, according to police. His stepmother was charged with cruelty and kidnapping.

The man said he was locked in an eight-by-nine-foot room and was fed two sandwiches a day with two cups of water for years, according to a police affidavit in Connecticut.