Misplaced Pages

Ariel Castro kidnappings: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 22:51, 24 May 2013 editAndyTheGrump (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers54,013 edits Undid revision 556650727 by Hamitdown (talk) source cited has nothing to do with article content← Previous edit Revision as of 23:30, 24 May 2013 edit undoHamitdown (talk | contribs)8 editsm Rescue: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/charles-ramsey-neighbor-who-saved-amanda-berry-becomes-viral-int/Next edit →
Line 63: Line 63:
On May 6, 2013, Knight, DeJesus, Berry, and Berry's 6-year-old daughter<!--do not add daughter's name, see talk--> were discovered to have been imprisoned in Castro's home at 2207 Seymour Avenue, in Cleveland's residential ] neighborhood, approximately {{convert|3|mi|km}} from where the three women had disappeared.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/07/timeline-ohio-missing-women-case/ |title=TIMELINE: Ohio missing women case |date=May 7, 2013 |publisher=Fox News|agency=Associated Press |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130506/NEWS/130506034/3-brothers-arrested-missing-women-found-Ohio |title=3 brothers arrested as missing women found in Ohio |last1=Welch |first1=William |date=May 6, 2013 |publisher=Shreveport Times |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref name= newsnet5-found>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Cleveland-police-dispatch-Missing-teens-Amanda-Berry-and-Gina-DeJesus-found-alive |title=Cleveland police: Missing teens Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus found alive, appear to be OK |last1=Steer |first1=Jen |date=May 6, 2013 |publisher=newsnet5.com |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/reports-amanda-berry-found-alive/ |title=Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michele Knight Recovered From Tremont Home, Multiple People Arrested |last1=Harp |first1=Carl |date=May 6, 2013 |publisher=CBS Cleveland |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> On May 6, 2013, Knight, DeJesus, Berry, and Berry's 6-year-old daughter<!--do not add daughter's name, see talk--> were discovered to have been imprisoned in Castro's home at 2207 Seymour Avenue, in Cleveland's residential ] neighborhood, approximately {{convert|3|mi|km}} from where the three women had disappeared.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/07/timeline-ohio-missing-women-case/ |title=TIMELINE: Ohio missing women case |date=May 7, 2013 |publisher=Fox News|agency=Associated Press |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130506/NEWS/130506034/3-brothers-arrested-missing-women-found-Ohio |title=3 brothers arrested as missing women found in Ohio |last1=Welch |first1=William |date=May 6, 2013 |publisher=Shreveport Times |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref name= newsnet5-found>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Cleveland-police-dispatch-Missing-teens-Amanda-Berry-and-Gina-DeJesus-found-alive |title=Cleveland police: Missing teens Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus found alive, appear to be OK |last1=Steer |first1=Jen |date=May 6, 2013 |publisher=newsnet5.com |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/reports-amanda-berry-found-alive/ |title=Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michele Knight Recovered From Tremont Home, Multiple People Arrested |last1=Harp |first1=Carl |date=May 6, 2013 |publisher=CBS Cleveland |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref>


According to police, when Castro left the house that day, Berry realized that he had failed to lock the home's "big inside door", although the exterior storm door was bolted.<ref name="BBC Cleveland rescue">{{cite web|title=Cleveland rescue: The mystery of 2207 Seymour Avenue |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22446157|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=BBC|date=May 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McClam|first=Erin|title=Cleveland man charged with kidnapping, rape; no charges for 2 brothers |url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/08/18123601-cleveland-man-charged-with-kidnapping-rape-no-charges-for-2-brothers?lite|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=NBC News|date=May 9, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Martinez|first=Michael|title=As Ohio women remained in captivity, alleged abductor's life crumbled |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/12/us/cleveland-abductions-narrative/index.html|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=CNN|date=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Alcindor|first=Yamiche|title=Ariel Castro charged with kidnapping, rape of 3 Cleveland women |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/08/cleveland-kidnap-captured-chains-ropes/2143885/|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=USA Today|date=May 9, 2013|author2=Donna Leinwand Leger|author3=Gary Strauss}}</ref> She did not attempt to break through the outer door because "she thought was testing her," according to the police report, so instead she screamed for help.<ref name="BBC Cleveland rescue"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Mahoney|first=Jill|title=Death penalty possible for alleged Cleveland kidnapper, prosecutor says |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/kidnap-suspect-ariel-castro-due-in-cleveland-court/article11810618/|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=The Globe and Mail|date=10May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dolan|first=Matthew|title=Charges Filed in Abduction of Ohio Women |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324059704578470750534634028.html|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 9, 2013|author2=Joe Barrett|author3=Tamer El-Ghobashy|author4=Kris Maher}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=Tom|title=Investigator: Amanda Berry delivered baby in plastic pool |url=http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/298772/45/Investigator-Read-details-of-captives-lives-escape|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=WKYC|date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> Neighbor Angel Cordero responded to the screaming,<ref name="slates">{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/05/08/_angel_cordero_cleveland_kidnapping_nobody_s_praising_the_less_flamboyant.html |title=Nobody's Praising Angel Cordero, the Less-Flamboyant Neighbor Who Also Helped Free Amanda Berry |last1=Levin |first1=Josh |date=May 8, 2013 |publisher=Slate |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> but was unable to communicate with Berry because he spoke little English. Another neighbor, Charles Ramsey, joined Cordero at the house's front door at some point during the rescue. A hole was kicked through the bottom of the storm door, and Berry crawled through, carrying her daughter; Cordero claimed to have kicked in the door alone, while Ramsey claimed it was a joint effort.<ref name=slates /><ref name=autogenerated8 /><ref>{{cite web|last=Mintz|first=Zoe|title=Angel Cordero: First Neighbor To Save Amanda Berry; Not Jealous Of Charles Ramsey|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/angel-cordero-first-neighbor-save-amanda-berry-not-jealous-charles-ramsey-video-1249269|publisher=International Business Times|accessdate=May 19, 2013|date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> Ramsey said that Berry told him that she and her child were being kept inside the house against her will.<ref name="autogenerated8">{{cite web |url=http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/07/transcript-video-charles-ramsey-ac360-exclusive-invu/ |title=Anderson Cooper interview with Charles Ramsey |date=May 7, 2013 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=May 8, 2013}}</ref> According to Ramsey, Berry was wearing a jumpsuit, white tank top, rings, and mascara; he said she "didn't look like she was kidnapped".<ref name="autogenerated8"/> Upon being freed, she went to the house of another Spanish-speaking neighbor<ref name="slates"/> and called ], saying, "Help me, I'm Amanda Berry ... I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here, I'm free now."<ref name=cnn050713/><ref name="autogenerated8"/> According to police, when Castro left the house that day, Berry realized that he had failed to lock the home's "big inside door", although the exterior storm door was bolted.<ref name="BBC Cleveland rescue">{{cite web|title=Cleveland rescue: The mystery of 2207 Seymour Avenue |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22446157|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=BBC|date=May 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McClam|first=Erin|title=Cleveland man charged with kidnapping, rape; no charges for 2 brothers |url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/08/18123601-cleveland-man-charged-with-kidnapping-rape-no-charges-for-2-brothers?lite|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=NBC News|date=May 9, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Martinez|first=Michael|title=As Ohio women remained in captivity, alleged abductor's life crumbled |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/12/us/cleveland-abductions-narrative/index.html|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=CNN|date=May 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=ayH1xFtalw4web|last=Alcindor|first=Yamiche|title=Ariel Castro charged with kidnapping, rape of 3 Cleveland women |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/08/cleveland-kidnap-captured-chains-ropes/2143885/|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=USA Today|date=May 9, 2013|author2=Donna Leinwand Leger|author3=Gary Strauss}}</ref> She did not attempt to break through the outer door because "she thought was testing her," according to the police report, so instead she screamed for help.<ref name="BBC Cleveland rescue"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Mahoney|first=Jill|title=Death penalty possible for alleged Cleveland kidnapper, prosecutor says |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/kidnap-suspect-ariel-castro-due-in-cleveland-court/article11810618/|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=The Globe and Mail|date=10May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dolan|first=Matthew|title=Charges Filed in Abduction of Ohio Women |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324059704578470750534634028.html|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 9, 2013|author2=Joe Barrett|author3=Tamer El-Ghobashy|author4=Kris Maher}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=Tom|title=Investigator: Amanda Berry delivered baby in plastic pool |url=http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/298772/45/Investigator-Read-details-of-captives-lives-escape|accessdate=May 14, 2013|publisher=WKYC|date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> Neighbor Angel Cordero responded to the screaming,<ref name="slates">{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/05/08/_angel_cordero_cleveland_kidnapping_nobody_s_praising_the_less_flamboyant.html |title=Nobody's Praising Angel Cordero, the Less-Flamboyant Neighbor Who Also Helped Free Amanda Berry |last1=Levin |first1=Josh |date=May 8, 2013 |publisher=Slate |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> but was unable to communicate with Berry because he got scared.http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/charles-ramsey-neighbor-who-saved-amanda-berry-becomes-viral-int/ Another neighbor, Charles Ramsey, joined Cordero at the house's front door at some point during the rescue. A hole was kicked through the bottom of the storm door, and Berry crawled through, carrying her daughter; Cordero claimed to have kicked in the door alone, while Ramsey claimed it was a joint effort.<ref name=slates /><ref name=autogenerated8 /><ref>{{cite web|last=Mintz|first=Zoe|title=Angel Cordero: First Neighbor To Save Amanda Berry; Not Jealous Of Charles Ramsey|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/angel-cordero-first-neighbor-save-amanda-berry-not-jealous-charles-ramsey-video-1249269|publisher=International Business Times|accessdate=May 19, 2013|date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> Ramsey said that Berry told him that she and her child were being kept inside the house against her will.<ref name="autogenerated8">{{cite web |url=http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/07/transcript-video-charles-ramsey-ac360-exclusive-invu/ |title=Anderson Cooper interview with Charles Ramsey |date=May 7, 2013 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=May 8, 2013}}</ref> According to Ramsey, Berry was wearing a jumpsuit, white tank top, rings, and mascara; he said she "didn't look like she was kidnapped".<ref name="autogenerated8"/> Upon being freed, she went to the house of another Spanish-speaking neighbor<ref name="slates"/> and called ], saying, "Help me, I'm Amanda Berry ... I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here, I'm free now."<ref name=cnn050713/><ref name="autogenerated8"/>


Responding police officers entered Castro's house. As they walked through an upstairs hallway with guns drawn, they announced themselves as Cleveland police. After peeking out from a slightly opened bedroom door, Knight entered the hallway and leapt into an officer's arms, repeatedly saying, "You saved me." Soon afterward, DeJesus entered the hallway from another room.<ref name="cleveland1"/> The women were able to walk out of the home; all three women and the child were taken to ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2-women-missing-decade-found-alive-ohio |title=3 missing women found in Ohio, 3 brothers arrested |last1=Sheeran |first1=Thomas J. |last2=Coyne |first2=John |date=May 7, 2013 |work=Associated Press |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> Berry and DeJesus were released from the hospital the next day;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/08/cleveland-kidnap-michelle-knight-amanda-berry/2144153/ |title=2 freed women return home; 3rd still in hospital |last1=Alcindor |first1=Yamiche |last2=Bacon |first2=John |date=May 8, 2013 |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> Knight was discharged on May 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/cleveland-captive-knight-avoids-public-family-article-1.1341364 |title=Cleveland captive Michelle Knight leaves hospital without telling family |last1=Walsh |first1=Michael |date=May 11, 2013 |publisher=New York Daily News|accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> Responding police officers entered Castro's house. As they walked through an upstairs hallway with guns drawn, they announced themselves as Cleveland police. After peeking out from a slightly opened bedroom door, Knight entered the hallway and leapt into an officer's arms, repeatedly saying, "You saved me." Soon afterward, DeJesus entered the hallway from another room.<ref name="cleveland1"/> The women were able to walk out of the home; all three women and the child were taken to ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2-women-missing-decade-found-alive-ohio |title=3 missing women found in Ohio, 3 brothers arrested |last1=Sheeran |first1=Thomas J. |last2=Coyne |first2=John |date=May 7, 2013 |work=Associated Press |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> Berry and DeJesus were released from the hospital the next day;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/08/cleveland-kidnap-michelle-knight-amanda-berry/2144153/ |title=2 freed women return home; 3rd still in hospital |last1=Alcindor |first1=Yamiche |last2=Bacon |first2=John |date=May 8, 2013 |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> Knight was discharged on May 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/cleveland-captive-knight-avoids-public-family-article-1.1341364 |title=Cleveland captive Michelle Knight leaves hospital without telling family |last1=Walsh |first1=Michael |date=May 11, 2013 |publisher=New York Daily News|accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref>

Revision as of 23:30, 24 May 2013

2013 Cleveland missing trio
Location2207 Seymour Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Coordinates41°28′21″N 81°41′52.5″W / 41.47250°N 81.697917°W / 41.47250; -81.697917 (2207 Seymour Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio)
DateAugust 22, 2002
– May 6, 2013
Attack typeKidnapping, rape, aggravated murder, attempted murder, assault
Victims
  • Michelle Knight
  • Amanda Berry
  • Gina DeJesus
  • Six-year-old daughter of Amanda Berry

On May 6, 2013, three women from Cleveland, OhioAmanda Berry, Georgina "Gina" DeJesus, and Michelle Knight—were rescued from captivity in a Cleveland house owned by Ariel Castro. Knight had disappeared in Cleveland in 2002 at age 21, Berry in 2003 at age 16, and DeJesus in 2004 at age 14. A six-year-old daughter of Berry, fathered by Castro, was also rescued. The women were discovered after Berry escaped the house with her daughter and contacted police.

Ariel Castro was arrested on the day the women were freed, and was charged two days later with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. The case received front-page news coverage worldwide.

Victims

Michelle Knight

Michelle Knight disappeared on August 22, 2002, after leaving a cousin's house. Knight was 21 years old at the time. On the day of her disappearance, she was scheduled to appear in court for a child custody case involving her son, of whom she had previously lost custody to the state.

Following Knight's rescue, police acknowledged that limited resources had been spent on investigating her disappearance, in part because she was an adult and was believed to have run away voluntarily due to anger over losing custody of her son. According to Cleveland Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba, Knight "was the focus of very few tips." Knight's removal from the National Crime Information Center database, 15 months after she disappeared, has been criticized, although police and the FBI maintain that her inclusion or exclusion had no bearing on her rescue.

According to a report by officers who found Knight, she accepted a ride home from Castro, but was instead driven to his house. She was tied up in his basement and beaten, and eventually moved to a locked room upstairs. Knight's grandmother told reporters that Knight will require facial reconstruction surgery due to the beatings she endured; Knight also lost hearing in one ear.

Amanda Berry

Amanda Marie Berry went missing on April 21, 2003, one day before her 17th birthday. Berry was last heard from when she called her sister to tell her that she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King at West 110th Street and Lorain Avenue. Berry has told police she accepted Castro's offer of a ride home after he had told her that he had a son who also worked at Burger King. After Berry entered Castro's vehicle, he allegedly drove straight to his own home and imprisoned her. The FBI initially considered Berry a runaway, until a week after her disappearance, when an unidentified male used Berry's cell phone to call her mother, saying "I have Amanda. She's fine and will be coming home in a couple of days."

Berry was featured in a 2004 segment of America's Most Wanted (re-aired in 2005 and 2006) which linked her to Gina DeJesus, who by that point had also gone missing in Cleveland. They were profiled on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Montel Williams Show, where self-described psychic Sylvia Browne told Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, in 2004 that her daughter Amanda was dead, and that she was "in water." This pronouncement devastated her mother, causing her to take down pictures and give away her daughter's computer. However, Miller continued to search for Berry until Miller's death from heart failure in 2006. Following Berry's escape, Browne received criticism for the false declaration that she was dead.

In July 2012, Robert Wolford, a prison inmate who used to live in the neighborhood where the women disappeared, claimed to have information about the location of Berry's body and led police to an empty lot on Cleveland's West Side, where a fruitless search was conducted. Wolford was sentenced in 2013 to four and a half years in prison for obstruction of justice, making a false report and making a false alarm.

Before Berry's disappearance, her grandfather had promised to give her a rare Chevrolet Monte Carlo from the year Berry was born. He kept the car after her kidnapping, in case she was found alive. Following her rescue, Berry called her grandfather and asked if he still had the car, which he did, although it was in need of restoration from having gone unused. Several automotive shops offered to perform the restoration for free.

Gina DeJesus

2004 FBI sketch of a suspect in DeJesus' disappearance

Georgina "Gina" Lynn DeJesus went missing at age 14. She was last seen at a pay phone at about 3 p.m. on April 2, 2004, on the way home from her middle school at West 105th Street and Lorain Avenue. DeJesus and her friend, Ariel Castro's daughter Arlene, had called Castro's ex-wife, Grimilda Figueroa, for permission to have a sleepover at DeJesus' house, but Figueroa had said they could not, and the two girls parted ways. It is alleged that Castro offered DeJesus a ride to his home to see his daughter but instead took her captive.

Because no one witnessed DeJesus' abduction, an AMBER Alert was not issued, which angered her father. He said in 2006, "The Amber Alert should work for any missing child...Whether it's an abduction or a runaway, a child needs to be found. We need to change this law."

A year after DeJesus' disappearance, the FBI released a composite sketch and description of a male suspect, described as "Latino, 25 to 35 years of age, 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in), 74 to 83 kilograms (163 to 183 lb), with green eyes, a goatee and possibly a pencil-thin beard". According to court records, Castro is 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) and weighs 81 kilograms (179 lb); he has brown eyes and a goatee.

DeJesus was featured on a 2004 America's Most Wanted segment, which re-aired in 2005 and 2006, and which linked her to Berry. The disappearances received regular media attention over the years, as recently as 2012, while family and others held vigils and searched for DeJesus and Berry. Castro was identified by Gina's family in video footage of two of these vigils and he reportedly participated in a search party and tried to get close to the family. Police kept an active investigation open, offering a $25,000 reward for information.

Daughter of Amanda Berry

According to police interviews with the victims, Amanda Berry gave birth to a daughter on December 25, 2006, inside the house where they were imprisoned. Castro allegedly ordered Knight to assist in the birth, which took place in a small inflatable swimming pool, and threatened her with death if the baby did not survive. At one point, the baby stopped breathing, but Knight was able to resuscitate her. Castro occasionally took the child out of the house; she had visited his mother, whom the girl called "grandmother" and in 2013, he showed one of his adult daughters a picture of the child and said that it was his girlfriend's daughter.

DNA evidence confirmed that Castro is the biological father of the child. The child called Castro "daddy".

Discovery and aftermath

Rescue

On May 6, 2013, Knight, DeJesus, Berry, and Berry's 6-year-old daughter were discovered to have been imprisoned in Castro's home at 2207 Seymour Avenue, in Cleveland's residential Tremont neighborhood, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from where the three women had disappeared.

According to police, when Castro left the house that day, Berry realized that he had failed to lock the home's "big inside door", although the exterior storm door was bolted. She did not attempt to break through the outer door because "she thought was testing her," according to the police report, so instead she screamed for help. Neighbor Angel Cordero responded to the screaming, but was unable to communicate with Berry because he got scared.http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/charles-ramsey-neighbor-who-saved-amanda-berry-becomes-viral-int/ Another neighbor, Charles Ramsey, joined Cordero at the house's front door at some point during the rescue. A hole was kicked through the bottom of the storm door, and Berry crawled through, carrying her daughter; Cordero claimed to have kicked in the door alone, while Ramsey claimed it was a joint effort. Ramsey said that Berry told him that she and her child were being kept inside the house against her will. According to Ramsey, Berry was wearing a jumpsuit, white tank top, rings, and mascara; he said she "didn't look like she was kidnapped". Upon being freed, she went to the house of another Spanish-speaking neighbor and called 9-1-1, saying, "Help me, I'm Amanda Berry ... I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here, I'm free now."

Responding police officers entered Castro's house. As they walked through an upstairs hallway with guns drawn, they announced themselves as Cleveland police. After peeking out from a slightly opened bedroom door, Knight entered the hallway and leapt into an officer's arms, repeatedly saying, "You saved me." Soon afterward, DeJesus entered the hallway from another room. The women were able to walk out of the home; all three women and the child were taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. Berry and DeJesus were released from the hospital the next day; Knight was discharged on May 10.

Investigation

According to a statement from Cleveland police, officers had visited Castro's home only once following the kidnappings, to discuss an unrelated incident. Castro did not appear to be home at the time, and was later interviewed elsewhere. Although neighbors claim to have called the police about suspicious activity observed at the home, police say they have no record of any such calls.

Castro was arrested on May 6, 2013, and charged on May 8 with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. Two of his brothers were also initially taken into custody, but were released on May 9 after police announced they had no involvement in the kidnappings.

A DNA test confirmed that Castro fathered Berry's 6-year-old daughter. Knight told police that Castro had impregnated her at least five times, and had induced miscarriages each time through beatings and starvation. DeJesus told law enforcement she was raped, but did not believe she was ever impregnated. Castro's DNA will also be compared to unknown DNA from other crimes.

WKYC News reported that during Castro's interrogation, he recalled each of the three abductions in great detail, and indicated that they were unplanned crimes of opportunity. According to WKYC's sources, Castro did not have an "exit plan" and believed that he would eventually be caught. He referred to himself as "coldblooded" and a sex addict. Police found a suicide note in Castro's home in which he allegedly discussed the abductions and wrote that his money and possessions should be given to the kidnapped women if he were caught.

Legal proceedings

Castro was arrested on May 6, 2013. On May 8, Castro was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape, charges that carry prison sentences of 10 years to life in Ohio. On May 9, Castro made his first court appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court. Bail was set at $2 million per kidnapping charge, for a total of $8 million. Additional charges were reported to be pending, including aggravated murder (for intentional induction of miscarriages), attempted murder, assault, a charge for each alleged instance of rape, and a kidnapping charge for each day each victim was allegedly held captive. On May 14, Castro's attorneys said he would plead "not guilty" to all charges if indicted for kidnapping and rape.

Suspect

Ariel Castro (born July 10, 1960) was 52 years old at the time of his arrest. His father, Pedro Castro, moved from Puerto Rico to the US in 1954, first living in Pennsylvania and then moving to Cleveland. His mother, Lillian Rodriguez, lived nearby in Cleveland. Ariel is one of nine siblings. According to Ariel Castro's uncle, his family knew the DeJesus family and had grown up in the same west Cleveland neighborhood. Ariel Castro is a 1979 graduate of Cleveland's Lincoln-West High School.

Castro met his future common law wife, Grimilda Figueroa, when his family moved into a house across the street from her family in the 1980s. The couple lived with both sets of parents, but moved into their own home at 2207 Seymour Avenue in 1992. The home is a two-story, 1,400-square-foot (130 m), four-bedroom, one-bathroom house with a 760-square-foot (71 m) unfinished basement built in 1890 and remodeled in 1956.

According to Figueroa's sister, after the couple moved into their new home, "all hell started breaking loose". She and her husband claim Castro beat his wife, breaking her nose, ribs, and arms, and once threw Figueroa down a set of stairs, cracking her skull. In 1993, Castro was arrested for domestic violence, but was not indicted by a grand jury. Figueroa moved out of the home in 1996 and secured custody of the couple's four children. Police assisted in the move and detained Castro, but did not pursue charges.

Castro continued to threaten and attack Figueroa after she moved out, according to Figueroa's sister. A 2005 filing by Figueroa in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court accused Castro of inflicting multiple severe injuries on Figueroa, and of "frequently abduct" his daughters. A temporary restraining order against Castro was granted, but was dismissed a few months later. Figueroa died in 2012 at the age of 48, due to complications from a brain tumor.

Castro worked as a bus driver for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for 22 years, from February 1991 until he was fired for "bad judgment" in November 2012 after a series of issues including making an illegal U-turn with children on the bus, using his bus to go grocery shopping, leaving a child on the bus while he went for lunch, and finally for leaving the bus unattended while he took a nap at home. He was earning $18.91 per hour when he was discharged. At the time of his arrest in 2013, his home was in foreclosure due to three years (2010–12) of unpaid real estate taxes.

After Castro's arrest, his son Anthony described his father's house: "The house was always locked. There were places we could never go. There were locks on the basement. Locks on the attic. Locks on the garage." While a journalism student in 2004, Anthony Castro had written an article about the Berry and DeJesus disappearances for the Plain Press, for which he had interviewed DeJesus' mother. He said his father asked him about three weeks before the escape if Amanda Berry would ever be found. Anthony said he told Ariel that Berry was likely dead, and that Ariel responded: "Really? You think so?" Anthony's sister Arlene Castro had been friends with DeJesus and was the last person to see DeJesus before her disappearance.

See also

  • Fritzl case, woman locked in her own basement by her father for 24 years in Austria
  • Kidnapping of Colleen Stan, 1977–84 California abduction case
  • Kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard, 11-year-old girl abducted in California; when found 18 years later, she had borne her kidnapper two daughters
  • Michael J. Devlin, convicted of kidnapping two Missouri boys, holding one for over four years
  • Tanya Nicole Kach, American girl abducted in Pennsylvania from 1996 until her escape in 2006
  • Natascha Kampusch, girl abducted in Austria at the age of 10 and held for more than eight years
  • Steven Stayner, American boy, kidnapped in California in 1972 and held until he escaped with a second kidnap victim in 1980

References

  1. ^ Caniglia, John; Blackwell, Brandon (May 9, 2013). "Cleveland city prosecutors charge Ariel Castro with kidnapping, rape in case of missing women" (news article posted to Cleveland.com). The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Live LLC, Advance Publications. Retrieved May 16, 2013Template:Inconsistent citations {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |author-separator= ignored (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. ^ Blackwell, Brandon; Krouse, Peter; Ewinger, James; Farkas, Karen; Miller, Donna J.; Galbincea, Pat (May 12, 2013). "Prosecutor to seek aggravated murder charges against Ariel Castro, citing what he said were terminated pregnancies among captive women" (news article posted to Cleveland.com). The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Live LLC, Advance Publications. Retrieved May 16, 2013Template:Inconsistent citations{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. Sherwell, Philip (May 7, 2013). "Ohio abductions: friendship between Ariel Castro's daughter and Gina DeJesus". The Daily Telegraph. London, England: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved May 16, 2013Template:Inconsistent citations{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. Sheeran, Thomas; Coyne, John (May 7, 2013). "Police Facing Questions in 3 Women's Ohio Rescue". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  5. "Three US women missing for years rescued in Ohio". BBC. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  6. ^ Almasy, Steve; Smith, Matt (May 7, 2013). "911 call – 'I've been kidnapped!' – cops find three women missing for year". CNN. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  7. Perez, Alex (May 7, 2013). "Cleveland Kidnapping Suspect Ariel Castro Hid a Dark Side, His Uncle Says". ABC News. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  8. Pinckard, Cliff (May 8, 2013). "Discovery of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight a worldwide phenomenon". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  9. Dawidziak, Mark (May 7, 2013). "For missing-women story, national news outlets quickly shift focus to Cleveland". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  10. ^ Atassi, Leila (May 7, 2013). "Michelle Knight's 'normal teenage life,' plagued by troubles in years before disappearance". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  11. "Questions still remain about Michelle Knight's disappearance". KPHO. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  12. Roig-Franzia, Manuel; Markon, Jerry (May 7, 2013). "3 missing women rescued from Cleveland home; questions raised over police visits". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  13. Seitz, Colleen (May 6, 2013). "Michelle Knight, missing Cleveland woman, disappeared in 2002". newsnet5.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  14. "Three brothers arrested over Cleveland abductions". TVNZ. Reuters. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  15. Eversley, Melanie; Alcindor, Yamiche (May 9, 2013). "Reports: Knight lived troubled life before abduction". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  16. Johnson, M. Alex (May 7, 2013). "Police acknowledge little focus on finding Michelle Knight, the third missing Cleveland woman". NBC News. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  17. Atassi, Leila (May 9, 2013). "Michelle Knight, held captive since 2002, removed by Cleveland police from FBI database 15 months after disappearance". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  18. ^ Blackwell, Brandon (May 9, 2013). "Initial police report: Castro tempted women with rides, then abducted, beat and raped them". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  19. ^ "Cleveland kidnappings: Victims endured years of rape, isolation, beatings". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  20. "Michelle Knight needs "facial reconstruction" after Cleveland rescue, grandmother says". CBS News. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  21. "Profile: Amanda Berry, Georgina DeJesus and Michele Knight". BBC. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  22. ^ Steer, Jen (May 6, 2013). "Cleveland police: Missing teens Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus found alive, appear to be OK". newsnet5.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  23. Guevara, Damian; Caniglia, John (November 15, 2003). "Amanda Berry's cell phone used a week after she went missing". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  24. Gray, Madison (May 7, 2013). "Found: Timeline of Ohio Women Missing Since 2002". Time. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  25. ^ Brown, Doug (July 19, 2012). "Search continues for Amanda Berry's body on West Side of Cleveland". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  26. "Amanda Berry". America's Most Wanted. May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  27. "Amanda Berry's mother asks Psychic Sylvia Browne 'Is she out there'". WKYC. November 18, 2004. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  28. Goldman, Russell; Dolak, Kevin; Muir, David; Castellano, Anthony (May 7, 2013). "Kidnap Victim Amanda Berry Hailed as 'Real Hero' in Rescue of Three Women". ABC News. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  29. Senger, Emily (May 7, 2013). "Psychic on The Montel Williams Show said Amanda Berry was dead. She wasn't". Maclean's. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  30. "The Abductions of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Ashley Summers". Oprah.com. October 12, 2009. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  31. Hudak, Stephen (November 18, 2004). "Amanda Berry is dead, psychic tells her mother on Montel Williams' show". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  32. Guevara, Damian G. (March 3, 2006). "Amanda Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, dies without the answers she's sought for 3 years". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  33. Sieczkowski, Cavan (May 8, 2013). "Psychic Sylvia Browne Told Amanda Berry's Mother Her Daughter Was Dead In 2004". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  34. "3 missing women found in Cleveland, Ohio; 3 men arrested". NECN. Associated Press. May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  35. "Ohio inmate Robert Wolford gets 4 years in false Amanda Berry search tip". newsnet5.com. Associated Press. January 16, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  36. "Kidnapped Cleveland woman, Amanda Berry, hailed a 'hero' after desperate 911 call". Fox News. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  37. "Amanda Berry's grandfather keeps 1986 Monte Carlo he promised before she went missing". Newsnet5.com. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  38. "Amanda Berry and grandfather reunite - WJHL-TV: News: Weather, and Sports for Johnson City, TN". Wjhl.com. April 17, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  39. Zicari, Peter (April 1, 2008). "Six long days, Gina still missing Parents, police, city officials focus on case at community meeting". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  40. Dissell, Rachel (May 7, 2013). "Suspect's daughter said in 2004 she was the last to see Gina DeJesus". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  41. "3 Ohio women missing for years found". CBC News. Associated Press. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  42. "Printout: FBI releases sketch of Gina DeJesus' alleged kidnapper". WKYC. April 15, 2005. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  43. "FBI had sketch of suspect but missed the connection". The New Zealand Herald. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  44. "Gina DeJesus". America's Most Wanted. May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  45. "Extended: Interview with Family of kidnapping victim Gina DeJesus". Global News. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  46. "Charges against Castro brothers expected soon". WOIO. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  47. Gomez, Henry J. (May 9, 2013). "Castro family connections to Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry investigations go back years". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  48. Baird, Gabriel (April 1, 2008). "New search for Gina DeJesus comes up empty Family's day is filled with anxiety, relief". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  49. Miller, Donna J. (April 2, 2012). "Vigil today for Gina DeJesus, missing for eight years". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  50. Swaine, Jon (May 9, 2013). "Ohio kidnappings: Michelle Knight forced to deliver Amanda Berry's baby on Christmas Day". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  51. ^ Caniglia, John (May 8, 2013). "Authorities say daughter of Amanda Berry born in inflatable pool". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  52. Blackwell, Brandon (May 9, 2013). "Police report: Michelle Knight revived Amanda Berry's baby just after birth". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  53. Webb, Robin (May 8, 2013). "Latest revelations in Ohio captivity case". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  54. Segall, Laura; Fink, Erica; Brumfield, Ben (May 10, 2013). "'He is dead to me,' daughter of Ohio suspect says in CNN exclusive". CNN. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  55. "Ariel Castro is father of Amanda Berry's child, state DNA results say". The Plain Dealer. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  56. Meyer, Tom (May 10, 2013). "Investigator: Ariel Castro says he's "cold blooded"". WKYC. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  57. Gomez, Henry J. (May 13, 2013). "The rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight: 30 minutes that ended a decade of nightmares". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  58. "TIMELINE: Ohio missing women case". Fox News. Associated Press. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  59. Welch, William (May 6, 2013). "3 brothers arrested as missing women found in Ohio". Shreveport Times. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  60. Harp, Carl (May 6, 2013). "Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michele Knight Recovered From Tremont Home, Multiple People Arrested". CBS Cleveland. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  61. ^ "Cleveland rescue: The mystery of 2207 Seymour Avenue". BBC. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  62. McClam, Erin (May 9, 2013). "Cleveland man charged with kidnapping, rape; no charges for 2 brothers". NBC News. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  63. Martinez, Michael (May 13, 2013). "As Ohio women remained in captivity, alleged abductor's life crumbled". CNN. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  64. Template:Cite http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=ayH1xFtalw4web
  65. Mahoney, Jill (10May 2013). "Death penalty possible for alleged Cleveland kidnapper, prosecutor says". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 14, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  66. Dolan, Matthew; Joe Barrett; Tamer El-Ghobashy; Kris Maher (May 9, 2013). "Charges Filed in Abduction of Ohio Women". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  67. Meyer, Tom (May 9, 2013). "Investigator: Amanda Berry delivered baby in plastic pool". WKYC. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  68. ^ Levin, Josh (May 8, 2013). "Nobody's Praising Angel Cordero, the Less-Flamboyant Neighbor Who Also Helped Free Amanda Berry". Slate. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  69. ^ "Anderson Cooper interview with Charles Ramsey". CNN. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  70. Mintz, Zoe (May 9, 2013). "Angel Cordero: First Neighbor To Save Amanda Berry; Not Jealous Of Charles Ramsey". International Business Times. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  71. Sheeran, Thomas J.; Coyne, John (May 7, 2013). "3 missing women found in Ohio, 3 brothers arrested". Associated Press. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  72. Alcindor, Yamiche; Bacon, John (May 8, 2013). "2 freed women return home; 3rd still in hospital". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  73. Walsh, Michael (May 11, 2013). "Cleveland captive Michelle Knight leaves hospital without telling family". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  74. ^ "Ariel Castro Charged with Kidnapping, Rape; Brothers Pedro and Onil Released". WHNT. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  75. "Ohio suspect's brothers released from custody". Yahoo!. Associated Press. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  76. "Ohio suspect confirmed as victim's father". Al-Jazeera. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  77. ^ "Michelle Knight told cops Ariel Castro threatened to kill her if Amanda Berry's baby died". CBS News. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  78. Dissell, Rachel (May 9, 2013). "State crime lab rushing to test Ariel Castro's DNA for investigators". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  79. ^ Meyer, Tom (May 10, 2013). "Ariel Castro to cops: 'I'm coldblooded'". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  80. "Investigator: Inside Ariel Castro's interrogation". WKYC.
  81. "2971.03 Sentencing for sexually violent predator specification". LAWriter – ORC. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  82. ^ Muskal, Michael (May 9, 2013). "Ariel Castro's bail set at $8 million in Cleveland abduction case". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  83. Markon, Jerry; Debbi Wilgoren (May 9, 2013). "Cleveland man accused of kidnapping, raping 3 women held on $8 million bond". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  84. Leger, Donna Leinwand; Strauss, Gary (May 10, 2013). "Prosecutor: Ariel Castro could face death penalty". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  85. Meyer, Tom (May 14, 2013). "Investigator: Castro loves daughter, will plead 'not guilty'". WKYC. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  86. "Cleveland kidnap accused Castro to plead innocent - lawyers". BBC. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  87. "Accused Cleveland kidnapper plans to plead not guilty: lawyer". Reuters. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  88. "Request for High Bond" (PDF). Cleveland Municipal Court Clerk of Courts Office. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  89. Dolan, Matthew; Barrett, Joe; El-Ghobashy, Tamer; Maher, Kris (May 9, 2013). "Charges Filed in Abduction of Women in Cleveland". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  90. "Relatives Of Cleveland's Suspected Kidnappers Pioneered The City's Latino Community". Fox News Latino. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  91. "Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight in Cleveland: Frequently asked questions". The Plain Dealer. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  92. ^ Smith, Matt; Botelho, Greg; Savidge, Martin (May 7, 2013). "'I never forgot about you': Families reunite with women held captive for years". CNN. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  93. Leger, Donna Leinwand (May 13, 2013). "Details emerge on Cleveland kidnap suspect's history". USA Today. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  94. Hui, Ann (May 9, 2013). "Who are the Castro brothers?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  95. Botelho, Greg; Smith, Matt; Brown, Pamela (May 9, 2013). "Ohio kidnapping case: Amanda Berry's baby delivered by another captive". CNN. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  96. ^ "Ariel Castro's ex-wife's family allege two-decade campaign of violence". The Telegraph. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  97. Alcindor, Yamiche; Leger, Donna Leinwand; Johnson, Kevin (May 7, 2013). "Reports of sex abuse, beatings inside Cleveland house". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  98. ^ Terry, Allison (May 8, 2013). "Three brothers arrested: what's known so far about alleged Cleveland captors". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  99. Regan, Ron (May 7, 2013). "Floor plans detail inside of Seymour Avenue home where 3 Cleveland women held captive for 10+ years". newsnet5.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  100. ^ Atassi, Leila (May 7, 2013). "Berry, DeJesus, Knight found alive, police source confirms". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  101. Kent, Julie (May 6, 2013). "Ariel Castro Arrested as Suspect in Abduction and Disappearance of Three Cleveland Women". The Cleveland Leader. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  102. Starzyk, Edith (May 7, 2013). "Ariel Castro fired as Cleveland school bus driver for leaving bus and going home "to rest"". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  103. Sangiacomo, Michael (May 7, 2013). "Cleveland house where missing women held captive is in foreclosure". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  104. Washington, Jesse (May 7, 2013). "Family friend: Kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro was friends with Gina DeJesus' father, helped search". newsnet5.com. Associated Press. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  105. Castro, Ariel (June 2004). "Gina DeJesus' disappearance has changed her neighborhood". Plain Press. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  106. Shookman, Sara (May 7, 2013). "Suspect's son wrote article about missing Ohio teen". USA Today. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  107. Hutchinson, Bill (May 7, 2013). "Main Cleveland kidnapping suspect's son says dad recently asked him whether one of the victims would be found". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  108. Kumar, Nikhil; Usborne, David (May 8, 2013). "Cleveland kidnapping: Son reveals his father padlocked doors to basement because 'we weren't allowed to go there'". The Independent. Retrieved May 13, 2013.

External links

Categories: