http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Cleveland-police-dispatch-Missing-teens-Amanda-Berry-and-Gina-DeJesus-found-alive

Posted: 7:00 PM
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

By: Jen Steer, newsnet5.com

CLEVELAND - Missing Cleveland teenagers Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been found, police say.

Cleveland police dispatch told NewsChannel5 that officers at the scene of 2207 Seymour Ave. said Berry and DeJesus are there. The families of both are at MetroHealth Medical Center waiting for the women to arrive.

“I heard screaming… And I see this girl going nuts trying to get outside,” said Charles, a neighbor would found the women. “I go on the porch and she said ‘Help me get out. I’ve been here a long time.’ I figure it was domestic violence dispute."

“She comes out with a little girl and says ‘Call 911, my name is Amanda Berry’… When she told me, it didn’t register.” He said he made the call and gave Berry the phone. When police arrived, officers asked him if he knew who he rescued.

Berry was last seen in 2003 when she was called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from work at the Burger King on West 110th Street and Lorain Avenue. She was set to turn 17 the day after her disappearance.

On April 2, 2004, 14-year-old DeJesus went missing while walking home from Wilbur Wright Middle School. She was last seen around West 105 Street and Lorain Avenue.

Her mother, Nancy Ruiz, said she believed DeJesus was sold into human trafficking.

“I always said it from the beginning; she was sold to the highest bidder,” Ruiz said in April 2012.

Last summer, there was a break in Berry case that turned out to be an inmate’s hoax. Robert Wolford, 26, told authorities that Berry’s body was in a vacant lot in Cleveland. Police searched at West 30th Street and Wade Avenue in July with backhoes, but nothing was found.

Wolford was sentenced to four and half years in prison after pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, making a false report and making a false alarm.

Keep checking newsnet5.com for more information.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PRAISE GOD!!!!!

This is great news! First I saw the scroll across the television, and I thought I was misreading it. Turned in to the news, and SURE ENOUGH! I live in Lakewood, just a few miles from where they were abducted.

A photo speaks a thousand words - Amanda Berry (center) is finally reunited with her sister, Beth, after a decade of separation. The little girl is believed to be Amanda's daughter.

We all here in Northeast Ohio are rejoicing tonight!!

That's great news. I'm glad the girls were found safe. I'm sad that one of the girl's mom died before her daughter was found.

So am I - the poor woman died in 2006 at the age of 44, and family and friends said it was essentially of a broken heart. :(

I'm very glad for these families but I also realize they still have a long road ahead of them dealing with the emotional and mental scars inflicted on them by their ordeal.

I'm glad that the women are safe, this actually happened in an area that I would hang-around at!:eek: :eek: :eek:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-cleveland-kidnapping-victims-leave-hospital-20130507,0,4929290.story


By Michael Muskal and Alana Semuels

May 7, 2013, 6:30 a.m.

CLEVELAND -- Three women, missing after they were kidnapped a decade ago, were released from a hospital Tuesday, hours after they were freed from their captivity, authorities said.

Police said they believed that the three women -- Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight -- were imprisoned for years in a Cleveland house after they were abducted when they were in their teens and early 20s.

After their rescue Monday, all were hospitalized overnight and released Tuesday morning to be reunited with their families, according to the hospital.

“We join the community in celebrating the safe return of these three women,” the hospital, MetroHealth, said in a statement.

Cleveland police are scheduled to hold a news conference Tuesday morning to give more details of the case and the arrest of three brothers who are the main suspects in the case.

What is apparently the ending chapter of the years-long saga began Monday with a gasping voice on a telephone line crying for help. Officials on Monday released the 911 tapes that set off the sequence of events that led to a city exulting in what authorities said was the end of one of Cleveland’s worst crimes.

“Help me. I'm Amanda Berry,’ the quivering voice tells police operators.

“You need police, fire, ambulance?” the dispatcher asks.

“I need police,” the woman responds.

“OK, and what's going on there?”

“I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years, and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now,” the woman says.

In addition to the three women, a 6-year-old also was found in the home, authorities said, but police didn't disclose the child's identity or relationship to anyone in the home.

Berry was 16 when she disappeared on April 21, 2003. She had called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King.

About a year later, DeJesus, then 14, disappeared on her way home from school. Police said Knight disappeared in 2002 and is now 32.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20698059,00.html

Elizabeth Smart's Message to Rescued Women: Don't Blame Yourself

By Mike Fleeman and Cathy Free

05/07/2013 at 01:50 PM EDT

Very few people can truly understand what the three women rescued from years in captivity can be feeling today – and what they may face in the years to come.

Elizabeth Smart is one of them, and she has a message.

"First of all, I'd make sure these young women know that nothing that happened to them is their fault," Smart tells PEOPLE. "They still have the same worth. They're still valuable. They haven't lost any of their worth to what's happened."

Smart was kidnapped from her home at age 14 in 2002 and forced to be a sex slave for nine months. She's now a newlywed and advocate for missing children.

"They can still do whatever they want in life," Smart says. "They should never feel like they can't do something because of what's happened to them. There is still so much more to life than what happened to them the last 10 years. They have so many years to go forward and be happy, I'd encourage them to not feel restricted."

The women, teenagers when they disappeared a decade ago, were rescued this week in Cleveland after one of them called 911. A 6-year-old believed to the daughter of the one of the women also was rescued. Three brothers have been arrested.

Smart says that what the women now need is rest – and their space.

"I hope everyone can respect their privacy," she says. "Obviously, they have been through so much and we shouldn't even begin to speculate on what's been happening the last 10 years, why they could escape now and why they couldn't then. We really have no right to ask these questions we'll never understand because we weren't there.

"The best thing anybody could give them is to certainly celebrate the miracle that happened," she continues, "but give them their privacy and allow them to find their bearings and reconnect to the lives that they lost. I encourage everyone to give them their space and time. Just allow them to be."

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20697993,00.html

Jaycee Dugard on Women Rescued in Ohio: Give Them Time to Heal

By Tim Nudd

UPDATED 05/07/2013 at 12:00 PM EDT • Originally published 05/07/2013 at 10:30 AM EDT

Few people could understand what the three women rescued this week from apparent captivity in Cleveland must have gone through better than Jaycee Dugard.

Abducted herself in 1991 at age 11 and held captive for 18 years, Dugard is cautioning the public to give these women time and space to begin healing. At the same time, she adds, the women's survival shows the power of human resolve.

"These individuals need the opportunity to heal and connect back into the world. This isn't who they are. It is only what happened to them," Dugard tells PEOPLE in a statement.

She adds: "The human spirit is incredibly resilient. More then ever this reaffirms we should never give up hope."

The three women discovered Monday in a house near downtown Cleveland, identified as Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, had been missing for a decade.

Authorities are only just beginning to piece together what happened to them, but Berry apparently gave birth to a child, now 6, during that time – much like Dugard, who had two daughters while being held captive by Phillip and Nancy Garrido.

Saw this on the TV at work today, pretty amazing! Its nice to see stories like this

Definitely a miracle!!!

wow, pretty shocking story - glad to hear that they are safe and sound now.

So many years of their lives lost in captivity, it is so sad. I am glad that they are free and that their families are getting their loved ones back.

Praise the Lord they're all right. Pray for Justice!

Such a sad, and happy story. They'll never get those years back and who's to say how much emotional damage they'll have. Still, a happy story because they're home and alive. God bless them.

That's great that they were finally rescued. It's sad that they spent nine and ten years hidden away from their families and friends. I hope in time the awful experiences they must have gone through will get a little easier to live with.

That's great that they were finally rescued. It's sad that they spent nine and ten years hidden away from their families and friends. I hope in time the awful experiences they must have gone through will get a little easier to live with.
Don't overlook the third young woman, Michelle Knight, who was little known about before. She was missing 11 years.

You know, I really have to post this link:
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3uan58/

And it's not really the first time either.

Amanda Berry and her six-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, and Gina DeJesus are now back home with their families. Michelle Knight was readmitted to the hospital but is said to be in "good" condition.

Ariel Castro was officially charged this afternoon with four counts of kidnapping (and that includes the little girl) and three counts of rape.

See all the Cleveland TV news sites (WKYC Channel 3, NBC; WEWS Channel 5, ABC; WOIO Channel 19, CBS; and WJW Channel 8, Fox) for all the details.

I'm so glad that they are home. I pray that they will be able to adjust to life like Jaycee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart.

Yesterday, I wondered why there wasn't any information on Michelle Knight?
Our photo was blocked, and the media wasn't talking much about her.

Today, the lack on info. was explained. She is estranged from her mother and wants nothing to do with her. I'm not sure if she wants anything to to with the the rest of the family though. Today, unlike yesterday, they were mentioned on TV.

It's been mentioned on one of our local news outlets here in Cleveland that Michelle has been reunited with her younger brothers and a 9-year-old sister who she met for the first time (she was born after Michelle's abduction), and that she has been in contact with her grandmother. That's about all I know.

Charles Ramsey Is an Internet Hero for All the Wrong Reasons (http://news.yahoo.com/charles-ramsey-internet-hero-wrong-reasons-180028708.html)

^ I don't even have to open that link to know what they're talking about.

There have been more and more stories coming out about this sickie, Ariel Castro.

He kept all three girls tied up in dark rooms in the house for years. They were only allowed to go outside twice in 10 years, only to go to the detached garage and only under heavy disguises.

He went to the candlelight vigils held by the Berry and DeJesus families, and he would bring back the missing fliers for the girls to see.

Not only did Amanda Berry get pregnant and deliver a baby in a KIDDIE POOL in the house, but one of the other two girls (they didn't say which one) suffered at least two miscarriages. He beat the girl up when she was pregnant and caused her to miscarry.

Unfortunately, he is not eligible for the death penalty (since no murder was committed - at least none that we know of - YET). He can only get life in prison.

For the sake of the young ladies, I hope his lawyer and the Cuyahoga County prosecutor can cut a deal so they don't have to endure a trial.

I'm so sicken of what this man has done to these women and child. I pray that he gets the sentence he deserves.

There have been more and more stories coming out about this sickie, Ariel Castro.

He kept all three girls tied up in dark rooms in the house for years. They were only allowed to go outside twice in 10 years, only to go to the detached garage and only under heavy disguises.

He went to the candlelight vigils held by the Berry and DeJesus families, and he would bring back the missing fliers for the girls to see.

Not only did Amanda Berry get pregnant and deliver a baby in a KIDDIE POOL in the house, but one of the other two girls (they didn't say which one) suffered at least two miscarriages. He beat the girl up when she was pregnant and caused her to miscarry.

Unfortunately, he is not eligible for the death penalty (since no murder was committed - at least none that we know of - YET). He can only get life in prison.

For the sake of the young ladies, I hope his lawyer and the Cuyahoga County prosecutor can cut a deal so they don't have to endure a trial.
Actually, the latest is, they are going for the death penalty, based on the forceable abortions of Michelle. That constitutes murder doesn't it?

Charles Ramsey Is an Internet Hero for All the Wrong Reasons (http://news.yahoo.com/charles-ramsey-internet-hero-wrong-reasons-180028708.html)

Of Course Charles Ramsey's Domestic Abuse Convictions Mean He Isn't a Hero (http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2013/05/of-course-charles-ramseys-domestic-abuse-convictions-mean-he-isnt-a-hero)

Actually, the latest is, they are going for the death penalty, based on the forceable abortions of Michelle. That constitutes murder doesn't it?

Yes, it does. That's what the Cuyahoga County prosecutor, Tim McGinty, said in a press conference this afternoon - that he is going to do everything he can to prove that Castro beat up Michelle when she was pregnant with the intention of causing her to miscarry. McGinty also said he is going to push hard to get this psycho the death penalty.

Charles Ramsey Is an Internet Hero for All the Wrong Reasons (http://news.yahoo.com/charles-ramsey-internet-hero-wrong-reasons-180028708.html)

http://madamenoire.com/276926/when-cooning-is-proper-why-is-the-gas-station-couple-different-than-charles-ramsey/

Here’s an interesting side note to that viral video of the black couple hamming it up on Jay Leno, which might have you looking at how we define “cooning” differently.

According to The Smoking Gun, Will and Monifa Sims, who appeared on Jay Leno’s Pumpcast News segment and sang and dance to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and the Eurythmics’s “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” at a Costco gas station, are actually trained actors, who once had a theater company in their native Chicago before moving out to Hollywood. While The Smoking Gun article doesn’t explicitly state that the segment, which catapulted the Sims to Internet sensations, was staged, the article points out that Monifa has appeared on the same Pumpcast News segment, in the same car and seemingly at the same gas station pump more than two years ago. Writes The Smoking Gun:

“In the original segment, Sims is seen at the same Burbank gas station where she was filmed singing with her husband. In fact, Monifa conversed with Stack both times while parked at pump number 16, the area used for the “Pumpcast News” bits. On both occasions, Monifa was in the same Chrysler Pacifica (she drove during the first taping, while her husband was at the wheel during the recent shoot). Additionally, she is seen wearing identical workout pants in each segment.”

Videos of Monifa’s previous appearance on Pumpcast news is embedded in the article as well as an update, which includes comments from Monifa explaining that her twice-appearance for the same supposedly candid-camera segment was just “a fluke” and that she never saw the first appearance because she is not, “glued to [her] TV at night.” However, The Smoking Gun has a cache of Monifa’s Facebook post from the time when the first segment aired, which shows that not only was Monifa promoting the heck out of her first appearance but she also gave a shout out to the “hilarious” Jay Leno too.

So I know what you are thinking: so what? Can’t we just have a good natured laugh without worrying about the authenticity of what we find entertaining? I agree 100 percent however that hadn’t stopped a bunch of folks last week from being all butt-hurt over Charles Ramsey, whom folks were accusing of cooning it up for the cameras.

All last week, the blogosphere was buzzing, pondering the question if Ramsey – the man who helped rescue three women from a kidnapper’s home – was glorifying certain negative stereotypes of black men. Those objections to him being in front of the camera revolved mostly around his use of colloquialisms and cadence found among those who are predominately black and poor and his overall appearance, which included missing teeth and an unkempt Afro. Some folks have even hinted that Ramsey intentional “cooned” out in front of cameras in hopes of following a long tradition of enterprising black Internet sensations, including Antoine Dodson and Sweet Brown, who have cashed in on their 15 minutes of fame. Yet by Friday, the same ferocity to either condemn or disassociate from Ramsey had been begun to be overshadowed by the virtual smiling and praising for a young black couple, who it now appears might have been doing the very thing that some folks accused Ramsey of – and that is shucking and jiving for the entertainment of white folks.

Okay, they weren’t actually shucking and jiving but they were singing, dancing and smiling for the cameras of a television show, which I have never known black folks to be fond of (This may be a personal observation but no black person I know or have met has every said, “yo man, did you catch Jay Leno last night?” Because the obvious answer to that is: “What? No!”). But it’s okay though because they got all their teeth; she got a perm and he speaks English properly. In the words of Ramsey himself, I do believe that this is a Dead Giveaway! Or as Yvette Carnell, writer with Your Black World pointed out:

“The message here is clear: Poor Blacks embarrass bourgeoisie Blacks. The evocation here is…Please, per Vice President Biden, only put the clean and perfectly coiffed Blacks on TV. If the man who rescued these women had resembled Denzel Washington or Will Smith, all of Ramsey’s critics would be bursting with race pride. But bourgeois black folk don’t abide the unwashed horde of poor black folk, and that’s actually nothing new.”

Tough words there by Carnell but you can’t deny the air of cultural elitism seeping from the lips of some folks, who have clutched pearls and wondered aloud about why the “wrong” type of black person always seem to get chosen to represent the race in front of the television news cameras. Personally, I actually have no issues with the couples portrayal on Leno – real or staged; they were actually very entertaining. However if we are going to scrutinize the most marginalized among us for not representing us “right” then we need to hold that same mirror up to those among us with more education, more acceptable physical appearances and more so-called social class, and point out ways in which their behavior on television might too assume negative stereotypes as well as a need to see black folks perform for the entertainment of white people.

Or we can just stop throwing around the term “cooning” so gingerly. Not saying that cooning doesn’t exist. However unless you are standing on the corners, in your red, black and green, banging all day on the same system, which oppress black folks globally, there is a strong possibility that you can be accused of cooning too (and even in that network of system bangers are folks, who could be accused of cooning too). Matter of fact, some of you sitting at your desk, talking about “Yessir I’ll get that report to you right away sir. Do you want extra staples…” are cooning right now. And as long as we black folks live in America (and most places with intense hatred of black skin) there are going to be plenty of times in life where how we dress, act and speak will draw the mockery of those other folks (also known as racist, white folks), who find us inferior. And despite the odds of that happening, it doesn’t necessarily make you a fool; it just makes those who mock what they can’t have or understand, *******s.


Read more at http://madamenoire.com/276926/when-cooning-is-proper-why-is-the-gas-station-couple-different-than-charles-ramsey/#p0EWUG8KwscKex02.99

Ay carumba!!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20700403,00.html

By Andrea Billups

05/15/2013 at 08:25 AM EDT

Ariel Castro, who is facing kidnapping and rape charges over the alleged abduction of three Cleveland women, will plead not guilty, his lawyers say.

"The initial portrayal of him is one of a quote 'monster,' and that is not the impression that I got," one of his two attorneys, Craig Weintraub, said in an interview that aired on Wednesday's Today show.

Added Castro's co-counsel, attorney Jaye Schlachet: "He is a human being, but what is offensive is that the women and the media want to demonize this man before they know the whole story, and I think it's unfair and not equitable."

While prosecutors have alleged that Castro, 52, operated a torture chamber and private prison, keeping the women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – incarcerated and often chained for up to a decade inside his Cleveland home, Castro's attorneys say they know the whole story, which will come out as the case moves ahead.

"I am aware of how he came in contact with them," Weintraub told NBC News about the three victims. He did not reveal further details of the defense's strategy.

A not-guilty plea would send the case to trial, which could force the three women to testify and, as experts have pointed out, re-live what authorities say took place in the house.

DNA tests show Castro is the father of a daughter, 6, with victim Amanda Berry, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced earlier this week. While Castro is kept locked in the Cuyahoga County jail cell in isolation, his lawyers say he is concerned about his child and that he is a loving dad.

Speaking to TV station WKYC Tuesday, the attorneys – Schlachet also defended convicted Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell, now on death row for the murder of 11 women whose bodies were found at his home – expressed their concern about Castro's receiving a fair trial.

"Mr. Castro is extremely committed to the well-being and positive future of his daughter, who he loves and cares about," said Weintraub.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20700403,00.html

By Andrea Billups

05/15/2013 at 08:25 AM EDT

Ariel Castro, who is facing kidnapping and rape charges over the alleged abduction of three Cleveland women, will plead not guilty, his lawyers say.

"The initial portrayal of him is one of a quote 'monster,' and that is not the impression that I got," one of his two attorneys, Craig Weintraub, said in an interview that aired on Wednesday's Today show.

Added Castro's co-counsel, attorney Jaye Schlachet: "He is a human being, but what is offensive is that the women and the media want to demonize this man before they know the whole story, and I think it's unfair and not equitable."

While prosecutors have alleged that Castro, 52, operated a torture chamber and private prison, keeping the women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – incarcerated and often chained for up to a decade inside his Cleveland home, Castro's attorneys say they know the whole story, which will come out as the case moves ahead.

"I am aware of how he came in contact with them," Weintraub told NBC News about the three victims. He did not reveal further details of the defense's strategy.

A not-guilty plea would send the case to trial, which could force the three women to testify and, as experts have pointed out, re-live what authorities say took place in the house.

DNA tests show Castro is the father of a daughter, 6, with victim Amanda Berry, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced earlier this week. While Castro is kept locked in the Cuyahoga County jail cell in isolation, his lawyers say he is concerned about his child and that he is a loving dad.

Speaking to TV station WKYC Tuesday, the attorneys – Schlachet also defended convicted Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell, now on death row for the murder of 11 women whose bodies were found at his home – expressed their concern about Castro's receiving a fair trial.

"Mr. Castro is extremely committed to the well-being and positive future of his daughter, who he loves and cares about," said Weintraub.
This should be good. What defense could he possible have to excuse torture and rape?

I seriously wanted to vomit when I first heard this. puke:

I seriously wanted to vomit when I first heard this. puke:

So did I.

DNA tests show Castro is the father of a daughter, 6, with victim Amanda Berry, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced earlier this week. While Castro is kept locked in the Cuyahoga County jail cell in isolation, his lawyers say he is concerned about his child and that he is a loving dad. "Mr. Castro is extremely committed to the well-being and positive future of his daughter, who he loves and cares about," said Weintraub.

Concerned about his daughter? A loving father? The only reason you have
a daughter is because you raped her mother, you dirty piece of scum! I hope
you never have any contact with your "Daughter" whatsoever and I hope her
mother has the common sense to keep her away from you. You really managed to dodge a bullet when you made that plea deal to avoid a trial.

The only good thing that comes from that is that your victims will never have to face you in court! Have a nice time rotting in prison for the rest of your life, scum.

Usually, I'm against the idea of solitary confinement in prison, but in this sickie's case, it fits. Of course, unlike his victims, he will have access to clean attire, three squares a day and the like. :mad:

http://fox8.com/2013/06/07/grand-jury-indicts-ariel-castro-on-329-counts/

Ariel Castro Indicted on 329 Counts

Posted on: 5:39 pm, June 7, 2013, by Darcie Loreno, updated on: 09:44pm, June 7, 2013

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ariel Castro, 52, has been indicted on 329 counts, including aggravated murder, County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty announced Friday.

He’s accused of abducting Michelle Knight, now 32, in August 2002; Amanda Berry, now 27, a day before her 17th birthday in April 2003; and Gina DeJesus, now 23, in April 2004.

DNA tests revealed a daughter born to Berry six years ago was fathered by Castro.

The indictments cover only the period from August of 2002, when the first of the three women discovered in his Seymour Avenue house last month disappeared, until February of 2007.

***To read the indictments, click here.***

Castro was indicted for one act of aggravated murder – for purposely and with prior calculation and design causing the unlawful termination of another’s pregnancy, as covered by Sections 2903.01(A) and (B) of the Ohio Revised Code, according to the release.

He was also indicted on 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of felonious assault and one count of possession of criminal tools.

He will be arraigned on those charges next week, and a trial judge will be assigned at that time, according to the release.

“Today’s indictments represent a first major step in the criminal justice process,’’ McGinty said in a release. “Our investigation continues, and we will present our findings to the grand jury.’’

Jim Wooley, attorney for Berry and DeJesus, and Kathy Joseph, attorney for Knight, issued a statement Friday evening in reaction to the indictments, saying the women have “confidence and faith in the prosecutor’s office.”

When the indictment process is complete, the County Prosecutor’s Capital Review Committee will consider whether the case is appropriate to attach a death penalty specification, according to the release.

This is a developing story. Stick with Fox and Fox8.com for more details.

Added Castro's co-counsel, attorney Jaye Schlachet: "He is a human being, but what is offensive is that the women and the media want to demonize this man before they know the whole story, and I think it's unfair and not equitable."

Awww....poor Ariel Castro. He's just misunderstood. :rolleyes:

Awww....poor Ariel Castro. He's just misunderstood. :rolleyes:
My heart bleeds. :violin:

Ariel Castro Indicted on 329 Counts

Posted on: 5:39 pm, June 7, 2013, by Darcie Loreno, updated on: 09:44pm, June 7, 2013

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ariel Castro, 52, has been indicted on 329 counts, including aggravated murder, County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty announced Friday.

He’s accused of abducting Michelle Knight, now 32, in August 2002; Amanda Berry, now 27, a day before her 17th birthday in April 2003; and Gina DeJesus, now 23, in April 2004.

DNA tests revealed a daughter born to Berry six years ago was fathered by Castro.

The indictments cover only the period from August of 2002, when the first of the three women discovered in his Seymour Avenue house last month disappeared, until February of 2007.

Castro was indicted for one act of aggravated murder – for purposely and with prior calculation and design causing the unlawful termination of another’s pregnancy, as covered by Sections 2903.01(A) and (B) of the Ohio Revised Code, according to the release.

He was also indicted on 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of felonious assault and one count of possession of criminal tools.

He will be arraigned on those charges next week, and a trial judge will be assigned at that time, according to the release.

“Today’s indictments represent a first major step in the criminal justice process,’’ McGinty said in a release. “Our investigation continues, and we will present our findings to the grand jury.’’

Jim Wooley, attorney for Berry and DeJesus, and Kathy Joseph, attorney for Knight, issued a statement Friday evening in reaction to the indictments, saying the women have “confidence and faith in the prosecutor’s office.”

When the indictment process is complete, the County Prosecutor’s Capital Review Committee will consider whether the case is appropriate to attach a death penalty specification, according to the release.

I'm confused-I heard from someone at our church that Castro
made a deal with the prosecutors office to plead guilty so that
he would avoid the death penalty.

I am glad the women have faith in the Cuyahoga County
Prosecutors Office. Often women who have been through
something like this are reluctant or afraid to testify.

I am sick of hearing about Castro having "Fathered"
a child with Amanda. He became a father as a result
of having raped his daughters mother. He is not a true
father in my opinion. Hopefully, Amanda will keep her
daughter away from this creature and a man will come
into her life to serve as a real husband and father.

There's no chance he'll ever have custody or visitation of the child. No court in their right mind would take her away from Amanda.

There's no chance he'll ever have custody or visitation of the child. No court in their right mind would take her away from Amanda.Well, of course not!!!!! He will never even see the child again!

The latest with Arial Castro: He's asked the judge for visitation rights to his daughter who was conceived by rape. I can't believe he had the nerve to request that. Obviously the request was denied, the judge saying under the circumstances, that would be inappropriate!

That is the understatement of the year!! He really thinks he can provide the little girl with a better life...in a maximum security jail for the rest of his life at best and death row at the worst?? He's not only a brutal monster, he's a seriously deluded one!!!

the only way he could make that child's life better would be if he committed suicide and put every cent he has into a trust fund for her (assuming he actually has a cent to his name)

http://fox8.com/2013/07/12/hundreds-more-charges-filed-against-ariel-castro/

Ariel Castro Facing Additional Charges

Posted on: 2:26 pm, July 12, 2013, by Kara Sutyak and Emily Valdez, updated on: 09:51pm, July 12, 2013

CLEVELAND– Ariel Castro now faces a 977-count indictment. He had already been charged in a more than 300-count indictment.

The 53-year-old is accused of kidnapping Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus and holding them hostage at his Seymour Ave. home in Cleveland for nearly a decade.

Friday’s indictment covers the entire time period from August of 2002 to May of 2013, when the women escaped.

Castro will be arraigned July 17 on the new indictment.

All three women released a video this week, thanking the public for their support.

The new indictments also have child endangerment charges for the alleged treatment of his 6-year-old daughter that Castro fathered with Berry.

The 977 total charges break down as follows:

- Two counts of aggravated murder

- 512 counts of kidnapping

- 446 counts of rape

- Seven counts of gross sexual imposition

- Six counts of felonious assault

- Three counts of child endangerment

- One count of possessing criminal tools

*CLICK HERE to read the entire indictment*

The grand jury indicted Castro with about one count of kidnapping and rape for each victim, for each month, they were reportedly held captive.

The two aggravated murder charges relate to a single incident involving an unborn child.

The initial police report indicates that Knight said Castro beat her when she became pregnant to force miscarriages.

Castro’s attorneys, Craig Weintraub and Jaye Schlachet, released the following statement after the new indictment came down:

“The first indictment only contained charges through early 2007 so we expected additional charges from a grand jury. We are pleased that we were able to convince the prosecutor’s office to not seek and obtain the death penalty in this new indictment. It is our hope that we can continue to work toward a resolution of this matter so that the women do not have to endure any additional trauma.”

Prosecutors have not decided if they will seek the death penalty. In the new indictment, the state retains the option of adding a death penalty specification.

http://fox8.com/2013/07/26/castro-due-in-court-plea-deal-on-the-table/

CLEVELAND — Life without parole plus 1,000 years is the recommendation for sentence for a man who held three women captive for 10 years.

Sentencing for Ariel Castro is set for Aug. 1.

He pleaded guilty to hundreds of charges Friday morning and told the judge he understood the charges. He said he had an addiction to pornography.

Castro, 53, admitted to kidnapping and raping three women repeatedly for a decade.

The three women, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight and Berry’s child, whom Castro fathered during her captivity, escaped in May.

The plea deal spares the victims from having to testify.

For the first time since his arrest, Castro appeared in court wearing glasses. He kept his head up during the hearing and answered the judge’s questions.

He also said several times he knew he would not be eligible for parole and would spend the rest of his life locked up.

He said he knew the “book would be thrown at me.”

Prosecutors also filed a motion to amend the indictment, saying they would not seize certain property belonging to Castro, including four motorcycles, three vehicles and a pension, possibly so those items could be given to his family.

That motion was granted.

Castro’s house and about $22,000 will be forfeited. Photo albums, clothing and certain approved belongings will be given to his family.

Well, the monster is off to jail for life! They gave him a chance to talk, and he babbled on and on for 20 minutes about how he's just misunderstood, showing no remorse.

He's the very definition of narcissistic. Michelle Knight showed incredible poise and bravery when she spoke. Again, thank goodness there wasn't a trial, and that this sickie will never see the light of day again as a free man.

He's another one who blamed "porn addiction" for his sick actions. Please...

That's another thing I want to mention:

Hate on Hugh Hefner all you want, but don't blame him for the reason people commit child pornography.

...and an abusive childhood, and yada yada yada. He blamed everyone but himself. Typical.