[h=3]By MATTHEW DOLAN, CAROLINE PORTER and JOHN W. MILLER[/h]
ReutersFrom left, Onil Castro, Ariel Castro, and Pedro Castro in photos released by police.
CLEVELAND—A 52-year-old musician and former school-bus driver is being charged with kidnapping and rape in the abduction of three young women who were found alive this week, but two of his brothers, who were also arrested this week, aren't being charged.
City prosecutor Victor Perez said Wednesday afternoon that Ariel Castro of Cleveland, the owner of the home where the women were held for about a decade, is being charged on four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found late Monday after Ms. Berry—who had disappeared in April 2003 on the eve of her 17th birthday—escaped, with the help of a neighbor, from the Seymour Avenue home. A 6-year-old girl believe to be Ms. Berry's daughter also was found at the house.
State prosecutors are expected to file charges against three brothers arrested in connection with the kidnapping of three Cleveland women, as their families rejoice in their homecoming. Photo: Getty Images.
Zuma PressPolice and FBI congregated outside a house in Cleveland where three women were found after being held captive for nearly the last decade.
Two of the women were treated and released from a local hospital Tuesday morning, but Ms. Knight remained at MetroHealth Medical Center, a spokesman said.
Mr. Perez added that the two Castro brothers, Pedro and Onil, are being held on unrelated warrants.
Meanwhile, details were emerging on the conditions under which the women were kept in the two-story home on Seymour Avenue, just south of downtown. Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath said in an interview that investigators found chains in the home and padlocks for the door. He said the victims in the case may have been allowed outside in the years they lived in captivity, "but very little."
He added that the women were being interviewed Wednesday and that investigators had completely searched the home.
On Wednesday, Ms. Berry arrived at her sister's home, which was covered in balloons and had a crowd of several hundred people outside. A short time later, the sister, Beth Serrano, gave a brief statement in which she requested privacy.
[h=3]Photos[/h]
REUTERSAmanda Berry, left, and Gina DeJesus are pictured in this combination photograph in undated handout photos released by the FBI.
[h=3]Map[/h]See the locations where three women went missing about a decade ago and the house where they were found Monday.
Ohio prosecutors are expected to file charges against three brothers arrested Monday night after three missing local women were found in one of their homes following a decade of captivity. Caroline Porter has the details from the scene in Cleveland on Lunch Break.
Members of the suspects' families took to the airwaves Wednesday to express their astonishment and disgust over the allegations. They also pledged their support to the young women who disappeared years ago.
"They do no represent what this family is about," Maria Castro Montes, one of the suspects' cousins, said Wednesday.
Her father, Julio Castro, 77 years old, owns the Caribe Grocery, less than a block from where the women and a young child were discovered. He said he and his brother Pedro—the deceased father of the suspects—arrived from Puerto Rico starting in 1954. They moved first to Pennsylvania before settling in Cleveland. In addition to Julio and Pedro, there were seven other brothers in the family.
Ariel Castro lost his job as a school-bus driver last fall for what Cleveland's school district called several demonstrations "of lack of judgment," including one of leaving a child on a bus and another of making an illegal U-turn, according to records.
Mr. Castro was charged with domestic abuse in 1993, but charges were dismissed, according to Cleveland Municipal Court records.
In 2005, Mr. Castro was accused by the mother of his children, Grimilda Figueroa, of domestic abuse, including breaking her nose twice, knocking out a tooth, head injuries and threatening to kill her and the children, in a filing in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court seeking a restraining order. The filing also alleges that Mr. Castro would frequently abduct his children and keep the mother away, even though she had full custody with no visitation for Mr. Castro.
A temporary restraining order was granted that August, but the matter was dismissed without prejudice in December after Ms. Figueroa's attorney failed to appear at a hearing, according to court records.
Mr. Castro's attorney in that case declined to comment. Ms. Figueroa's attorney couldn't be reached.
Ms. Figueroa died last year. Her brother, Jose Figueroa, 35, said his sister overdosed on OxyContin after undergoing brain surgery for a tumor and using painkillers.
"She died from being in too much pain," he said.
While Ms. Figueroa broke things off with Ariel Castro about 20 years ago, he said, his sister also struggled to move on because of fear and anxiety. "The police told her to file a restraining order, but she would get halfway through the process and get too scared," he said. "She was anxious."
Jennifer Gonzalez, 29, who said she was friends with Ms. DeJesus and Ms. Berry and knew the Castros, described seeing Ariel Castro ride his motorcycle around the neighborhood. "He was a good man, always friendly," she said. "That's why this is such a shock. I got goose bumps when I heard about it."
The three young women had gone missing within a few miles of one another, and the cases had drawn national attention even before they were found alive, including two of the girls being the subject of an Oprah Winfrey program in 2009. The first to go missing was Ms. Knight, who vanished in 2002 at age 20. Ms. Berry, now 27, was next, and Ms. DeJesus, now 23, went missing in 2004.
Deborah Knight, a relative of Ms. Knight's who lives near Cleveland, remembers her as smiling and outgoing before she went missing. "I love her. I want her to know I'm here for her," she said. "I hope everything is OK."
Ms. DeJesus was best friends with Arlene Castro, daughter of Ariel Castro, said Amber Brown, a 21-year-old neighbor who knew both girls. The night Gina disappeared, "Arlene was supposed to come to her house so they could go skating," Ms. Brown said. "But Arlene's mom wouldn't let her. So the girls went their separate ways after school. We never saw her again."
On Kinkel Street, less than a half-mile from the home where the young women were found, Pedro and Onil Castro lived together in a neatly kept, two-story home. On the block, however, are boarded-up homes, and drug activity and prostitution, according to residents.
"This is a drug street. This is a prostitution street," said Dolores Essenburg, who has lived two doors down from the Castros since 2008. The Castros, she said, were exceptionally friendly, usually offering to help her and saying hello to her children.
Their pale-pink home has tulips sprouting in the front yard next to an Ohio State University yard sign. Visitors are warned about trespassing and a dog with several signs. Its fenced yard with well-tended grass has a brown painted picnic table, swing love seat and lounging chairs.
The Castro home on Kinkel was so clean inside, she said, "that you could eat off the floor." According to Ms. Essenburg, it was the Castros' mother who once lived in the house who insisted her boys keep the home in good order.
"I'm still shocked about what happened with them," she said.
Now she fears retribution for her entire block. Ms. Essenburg said she had a threat recently from a man who said he wanted to burn the Castros' house down.
Ms. Essenburg said the Castro family cleared out of the home after Monday's arrests. A Schwinn mountain bike lay against a back fence, likely belonging to Pedro, who didn't drive, she said. Two sons, possibly of Onil's, as well as one of the son's girlfriend, also live in the home, according to Ms. Essenburg.
Pedro and Onil Castro didn't appear to have full-time jobs, Ms. Essenburg said. They were often spotted at a nearby check-cashing store buying alcohol, she said. Ariel was a regular at the nearby McDonalds, she added. The parties in the Castros' backyard were a regular event, according to Ms. Essenburg.
Pedro and Onil Castro made a daily pilgrimage from their home on Kinkel Street to the corner of West 32nd St. and Clark Avenue. Their destination was Tony's Market, a popular convenience store with a large display of liquor set behind a clear plastic barrier.
Owner Charlie Patel said in an interview Wednesday that the men came at all hours of the day, but their purchase was always the same: a pint of Ron Rico rum at $5.30.
"They were very nice and friendly," Mr. Patel said. "They were sober when they came because they knew I wouldn't sell to them if they were drunk."
Within the past year, according to Mr. Patel, Onil stopped coming. But Pedro continued to ride his bike to the store despite a warning from his mother to curb his drinking.
"She came by and asked me to stop selling to Pedro," Mr. Patel said. "But said I couldn't do that if he was sober and had the money. If I didn't sell to him, that would be illegal."
—Kris Maher, Mark Peters,
Ben Kesling and James Oberman contributed to this article.Write to Matthew Dolan at [email protected], Caroline Porter at [email protected] and John W. Miller at [email protected]
CLEVELAND—A 52-year-old musician and former school-bus driver is being charged with kidnapping and rape in the abduction of three young women who were found alive this week, but two of his brothers, who were also arrested this week, aren't being charged.
City prosecutor Victor Perez said Wednesday afternoon that Ariel Castro of Cleveland, the owner of the home where the women were held for about a decade, is being charged on four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found late Monday after Ms. Berry—who had disappeared in April 2003 on the eve of her 17th birthday—escaped, with the help of a neighbor, from the Seymour Avenue home. A 6-year-old girl believe to be Ms. Berry's daughter also was found at the house.
State prosecutors are expected to file charges against three brothers arrested in connection with the kidnapping of three Cleveland women, as their families rejoice in their homecoming. Photo: Getty Images.
Zuma PressPolice and FBI congregated outside a house in Cleveland where three women were found after being held captive for nearly the last decade.
Two of the women were treated and released from a local hospital Tuesday morning, but Ms. Knight remained at MetroHealth Medical Center, a spokesman said.
Mr. Perez added that the two Castro brothers, Pedro and Onil, are being held on unrelated warrants.
Meanwhile, details were emerging on the conditions under which the women were kept in the two-story home on Seymour Avenue, just south of downtown. Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath said in an interview that investigators found chains in the home and padlocks for the door. He said the victims in the case may have been allowed outside in the years they lived in captivity, "but very little."
He added that the women were being interviewed Wednesday and that investigators had completely searched the home.
On Wednesday, Ms. Berry arrived at her sister's home, which was covered in balloons and had a crowd of several hundred people outside. A short time later, the sister, Beth Serrano, gave a brief statement in which she requested privacy.
[h=3]Photos[/h]
REUTERSAmanda Berry, left, and Gina DeJesus are pictured in this combination photograph in undated handout photos released by the FBI.
[h=3]Map[/h]See the locations where three women went missing about a decade ago and the house where they were found Monday.
Ohio prosecutors are expected to file charges against three brothers arrested Monday night after three missing local women were found in one of their homes following a decade of captivity. Caroline Porter has the details from the scene in Cleveland on Lunch Break.
Members of the suspects' families took to the airwaves Wednesday to express their astonishment and disgust over the allegations. They also pledged their support to the young women who disappeared years ago.
"They do no represent what this family is about," Maria Castro Montes, one of the suspects' cousins, said Wednesday.
Her father, Julio Castro, 77 years old, owns the Caribe Grocery, less than a block from where the women and a young child were discovered. He said he and his brother Pedro—the deceased father of the suspects—arrived from Puerto Rico starting in 1954. They moved first to Pennsylvania before settling in Cleveland. In addition to Julio and Pedro, there were seven other brothers in the family.
Ariel Castro lost his job as a school-bus driver last fall for what Cleveland's school district called several demonstrations "of lack of judgment," including one of leaving a child on a bus and another of making an illegal U-turn, according to records.
Mr. Castro was charged with domestic abuse in 1993, but charges were dismissed, according to Cleveland Municipal Court records.
In 2005, Mr. Castro was accused by the mother of his children, Grimilda Figueroa, of domestic abuse, including breaking her nose twice, knocking out a tooth, head injuries and threatening to kill her and the children, in a filing in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court seeking a restraining order. The filing also alleges that Mr. Castro would frequently abduct his children and keep the mother away, even though she had full custody with no visitation for Mr. Castro.
A temporary restraining order was granted that August, but the matter was dismissed without prejudice in December after Ms. Figueroa's attorney failed to appear at a hearing, according to court records.
Mr. Castro's attorney in that case declined to comment. Ms. Figueroa's attorney couldn't be reached.
Ms. Figueroa died last year. Her brother, Jose Figueroa, 35, said his sister overdosed on OxyContin after undergoing brain surgery for a tumor and using painkillers.
"She died from being in too much pain," he said.
While Ms. Figueroa broke things off with Ariel Castro about 20 years ago, he said, his sister also struggled to move on because of fear and anxiety. "The police told her to file a restraining order, but she would get halfway through the process and get too scared," he said. "She was anxious."
Jennifer Gonzalez, 29, who said she was friends with Ms. DeJesus and Ms. Berry and knew the Castros, described seeing Ariel Castro ride his motorcycle around the neighborhood. "He was a good man, always friendly," she said. "That's why this is such a shock. I got goose bumps when I heard about it."
The three young women had gone missing within a few miles of one another, and the cases had drawn national attention even before they were found alive, including two of the girls being the subject of an Oprah Winfrey program in 2009. The first to go missing was Ms. Knight, who vanished in 2002 at age 20. Ms. Berry, now 27, was next, and Ms. DeJesus, now 23, went missing in 2004.
Deborah Knight, a relative of Ms. Knight's who lives near Cleveland, remembers her as smiling and outgoing before she went missing. "I love her. I want her to know I'm here for her," she said. "I hope everything is OK."
Ms. DeJesus was best friends with Arlene Castro, daughter of Ariel Castro, said Amber Brown, a 21-year-old neighbor who knew both girls. The night Gina disappeared, "Arlene was supposed to come to her house so they could go skating," Ms. Brown said. "But Arlene's mom wouldn't let her. So the girls went their separate ways after school. We never saw her again."
On Kinkel Street, less than a half-mile from the home where the young women were found, Pedro and Onil Castro lived together in a neatly kept, two-story home. On the block, however, are boarded-up homes, and drug activity and prostitution, according to residents.
"This is a drug street. This is a prostitution street," said Dolores Essenburg, who has lived two doors down from the Castros since 2008. The Castros, she said, were exceptionally friendly, usually offering to help her and saying hello to her children.
Their pale-pink home has tulips sprouting in the front yard next to an Ohio State University yard sign. Visitors are warned about trespassing and a dog with several signs. Its fenced yard with well-tended grass has a brown painted picnic table, swing love seat and lounging chairs.
The Castro home on Kinkel was so clean inside, she said, "that you could eat off the floor." According to Ms. Essenburg, it was the Castros' mother who once lived in the house who insisted her boys keep the home in good order.
"I'm still shocked about what happened with them," she said.
Now she fears retribution for her entire block. Ms. Essenburg said she had a threat recently from a man who said he wanted to burn the Castros' house down.
Ms. Essenburg said the Castro family cleared out of the home after Monday's arrests. A Schwinn mountain bike lay against a back fence, likely belonging to Pedro, who didn't drive, she said. Two sons, possibly of Onil's, as well as one of the son's girlfriend, also live in the home, according to Ms. Essenburg.
Pedro and Onil Castro didn't appear to have full-time jobs, Ms. Essenburg said. They were often spotted at a nearby check-cashing store buying alcohol, she said. Ariel was a regular at the nearby McDonalds, she added. The parties in the Castros' backyard were a regular event, according to Ms. Essenburg.
Pedro and Onil Castro made a daily pilgrimage from their home on Kinkel Street to the corner of West 32nd St. and Clark Avenue. Their destination was Tony's Market, a popular convenience store with a large display of liquor set behind a clear plastic barrier.
Owner Charlie Patel said in an interview Wednesday that the men came at all hours of the day, but their purchase was always the same: a pint of Ron Rico rum at $5.30.
"They were very nice and friendly," Mr. Patel said. "They were sober when they came because they knew I wouldn't sell to them if they were drunk."
Within the past year, according to Mr. Patel, Onil stopped coming. But Pedro continued to ride his bike to the store despite a warning from his mother to curb his drinking.
"She came by and asked me to stop selling to Pedro," Mr. Patel said. "But said I couldn't do that if he was sober and had the money. If I didn't sell to him, that would be illegal."
—Kris Maher, Mark Peters,
Ben Kesling and James Oberman contributed to this article.Write to Matthew Dolan at [email protected], Caroline Porter at [email protected] and John W. Miller at [email protected]