Ariel Castro charged with 4 counts of kidnapping and 3 counts of rape.

[ellisonz]

Last edited Wed May 8, 2013, 06:06 PM - Edit history (1)

No charges against Pedro Castro or Onil Castro although both are being held on outstanding warrants and neither had knowledge of the kidnappings. More charges could be added later.

Per Live Press Conference.

Cleveland man charged with kidnapping, rape; no charges for 2 brothers
Updated 11 seconds ago
By Richard Esposito and Erin McClam, NBC News

The Cleveland man charged with holding three women captive for a decade impregnated one of them five times and punched her in the stomach until she miscarried, police said Wednesday in a chilling report on the kidnappings.

The man forced one of his captives, Michelle Knight, to deliver the baby of another captive, Amanda Berry, in a kiddie pool, and threatened to kill Knight if the baby died, police said.

The Cleveland city prosecutor charged the man, Ariel Castro, with four counts of kidnapping — one for each of the three women and one for a baby that was born to Berry six years ago. Castro was also charged with three counts of rape for each of the adult women.

But authorities filed no charges against two of Castro’s brothers who were arrested Monday night, after Berry escaped the house with the help of a neighbor. Authorities said they had no evidence that the two brothers, Pedro and Onil Castro, were involved.

More: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/08/18123601-cleveland-man-charged-with-kidnapping-rape-no-charges-for-2-brothers?lite

[LiberalAndProud]

1. Only three counts of rape? Why?

[ellisonz]

3. I presume the 4th count of kidnapping is the child, no rape charge in that regard it appears. n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

6. Do they assume each woman was only raped once?

Or can a woman be legally raped only once? I suspect he had forcible sex more than once with each victim, which is the reason I asked, why?

[ellisonz]

8. I'm not a legal expert so I'm not sure why that's the charge.

But at least it would appear at this time he did not harm the child and that is good, and welcome news.

[Yo_Mama]

22. These are the preliminary charges

They are filed so that he can be arraigned and formally held.

Those charges will no doubt be amended later.

As for multiple counts, the prosecution has to prove each charge at trial or get it thrown out. And the counts have to be specific. So don't expect to see something like 200 counts of rape.

As a practical matter, this is life without parole anyway.

[LiberalAndProud]

28. Ah, then that makes sense, as a practical matter.

Thank you for the explanation.

[LisaL]

4. 3 female victims?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. More charges can be added later -

this is just to get them charged with enough to beat the OH criminal charges deadline.

[Blue_Tires]

19. I'm thinking this is only the beginning...

And they're trying hard to unravel the roles of the other two men, and discover if there were any more girls before these three...

It'll probably be weeks for the full, detailed charging documents are filed...How long would it take you to tell the police everything that happened to you over the last 10 years?

[ellisonz]

2. They were not kept in one room.

But they did know each other were there.

[ellisonz]

5. No connection or new information to the Ashley Summers case. n/t

[ellisonz]

9. Over 200 items of evidence taken from home. n/t

[BlueStreak]

10. We are to believe that one man was able to keep these three women confined

without any assistance for 10 years. That seems completely implausible.

[LisaL]

14. I am sure the women are cooperating.

So obviously the women know who kidnapped them and who didn't.

[BlueStreak]

29. They may only know whom they saw

But it seems implausible that the brothers wouldn't have any suspicions during that entire time, assuming they were at the house from time to time.

[ellisonz]

33. It seems like almost no one but Ariel Castro was in the house.

One of the band mates had said he was in the entryway once when he helped unload instruments. He wasn't taken aback by anything.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/cleveland-suspect-ariel-castros-troubled-life/article11778523/?cmpid=rss1

Although his children also describe the presence of padlocks:

Kidnap suspect's son tells of padlocks on rooms

Ariel Castro padlocked the doors leading to his garage, basement and attic and forebade his family from entering them, his son claims.

Castro had also spoken to his son Anthony just last month about the mysterious disappearance 10 years ago of Berry.

Anthony Castro told the Daily Mail that he had visited his father's home on Seymour Avenue two weeks ago, not suspecting that three women could be locked in the basement.

He said his father was a very secretive man and barred him from entering certain rooms.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-kidnap-victim-arrives-home-leaving-behind-dungeon-with-chains-20130508-2j83l.html#ixzz2SjzDf3dh

It sounds to me like they were kept in separate rooms bound and gagged including the child.

[BlueStreak]

35. If you went into somebody's house and saw several doors padlocked

would you have any suspicions?

That seems pretty darned strange to me. I guess I can't say that I would call the police on the basis of that one observation, but I'd certainly pay close attention to the guy.

Perhaps they assumed he was "just" dealing drugs or something.

[ellisonz]

36. Lot of unanswered questions...

...I can see though how the children might just think the father was a strange man and it's not as if it's not a high crime neighborhood.

I'd really like to see a non-Cleveland PD review of the case.

[ellisonz]

11. Cleveland PD says no calls related to the case were made to Ariel Castro's home. n/t

[ellisonz]

12. They were only outside of the home on two seperate occassions briefly...

...not clear if that refers to exactly in terms of who, where and when.

[ellisonz]

13. They will all be in court tomorrow morning to be arraigned. n/t

[RebelOne]

15. These guys deserve the death penalty

for the horror they put those poor girls through in 10 years.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. The OP claims only one of them knew about it.

I don't know whether that's accurate or not, but it's possibly worth noting.

[ellisonz]

20. That's what the DA's office is stating.

There is a live press conference on MSNBC and I would imagine CNN. You may turn it on if you like. My comments are accurate as far as what the Cuyahoga's DA Office is stating.

[LisaL]

21. That's what police say.

The other two were not involved per victims statement.

[ellisonz]

16. No comment on how Amanda Berry escaped due to the pending investigation.

This was the first time they attempted to escape. No comment on the kidnapping events.

[ellisonz]

18. No comment on the status of the minor or additional pregnancies.

DNA test is being performed to determine paternity.

[LisaL]

26. That seems kind of moot at this point, since they are alleging he acted alone.

I guess they still need iron clad proof.

[ellisonz]

30. Correct.

They need iron-clad. Although, I would suspect that if they were involved that police interviews with the victims might have revealed that. I'm actually not surprised since the neighbors haven't mentioned seeing the brothers around a lot. I think it's also harder to keep something like this quiet when more people know.

[ellisonz]

23. MSNBC: Police Report: Castro offered victims rides home to lure them to his house.

The police report is out. Describes brutal treatment including repeated pregnancies and miscarriages from abuse.

[ellisonz]

24. Clint Van Zandt says that Ohio prosecutes the death of a fetus due to abuse as murder. n/t

[LisaL]

27. Good.

[Gin]

31. Where is the police report? I cant find it

[ellisonz]

34. I would expect that it will be available online at some point soon.

This is per Craig Melvin on MSNBC.

[ellisonz]

25. Ariel Castro charged with kidnapping, rape; no charges against brothers Onil, Pedro Castro

By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer
on May 08, 2013 at 5:08 PM, updated May 08, 2013 at 5:38 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland police this afternoon announced that they have charged Ariel Castro with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape in connection with holding Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight captive for the last decade.

Police Capt. Ed Tomba said Pedro and Onil Castro will not be charged, though they have warrants on misdemeanor cases, to be heard Thursday morning.

City Prosecutor Victor Perez said there was no reason to believe the brothers were involved. Kidnapping charges against Ariel Castro include the 6 yr old child found in home.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/place_holder_for_news_conferen.html#incart_maj-story-1

[Warren DeMontague]

32. Bizarre.

Throw the book at him. I have trouble believing the brothers werent somehow aware and culpable but I guess the truth will out.

[freshwest]

37. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it got worse, and now more worse.

This is going to be a hell of trial.

[LisaL]

38. Might just be a plea deal.

Like Jaycee Dugard's kidnapper.

[ellisonz]

39. With the catch being potential murder charges...

...I can't see Ohio passing up a chance to go for capital punishment.

[LisaL]

40. I think to go for the death penalty, police would need some physical proof that fetuses were

killed-and so far they have not found any bodies.

[ellisonz]

41. That's probably correct.

I would guess that might be what they're still searching for at the home(s).

[freshwest]

45. Life in prison is what they ended up with for pleading guilty, Castro deserves the same:

http://jezebel.com/5347691/young-woman-rescued-after-18-years-of-captivity-in-backyard

And a little bit more:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/28/jaycee-lee-dugard-kidnap-suspect-garrido-speaks/print

He was delusional for years. I don't understand why his wife went along with this, she just looks bored in this photo:



Phillip, Nancy Garrido sentenced in Jaycee Dugard kidnapping

Phillip Garrido was sentenced Thursday to 431 years to life in prison in the kidnapping and sexual assault of Jaycee Dugard, who was held captive from age 11 to 29 by Garrido and his wife, according to the El Dorado County, California, district attorney's office.

His wife, Nancy Garrido, 55, was sentenced earlier in the day to 36 years to life in prison for her role in the abduction and rape, said Garrido's attorney, Stephen Tapson.

Dugard didn't appear in court Thursday for the sentencings, but she submitted an emotional statement that was presented by her mother, according to Dugard's media representative, Nancy Seltzer.

Jaycee Dugard, now 31, called the Garridos "evil" and described their captivity of her as a "sexual perversion" forced upon her for 18 years...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/06/02/california.garridos.sentencing/

[Cleita]

42. Too bad Truman Capote is dead.

Only he could write the book that will be written on this and get it right.

[Baitball Blogger]

43. Something cheap and sordid is probably germinating in someone's head

as we speak.

[HockeyMom]

44. Michelle Knight's mother on Naples, Florida, local news

She now lives in an area (Golden Gate) a few miles from me. In the interview she said that her daughter was assaulted and had a baby boy who was taken away from her by child protective services. The mother listed her as a missing person in 2000, but the police concluded that she had left of her own accord. Her mother said she believes that it had something to do with her baby being taken away.

I heard a report that the police said one of the victims knew her kidnapper. It seems Knight was the first to go missing. She was also the woman who suffered the most severe beatings. Did she know Castro? Did she seek him out at first? Was he the father of her son who was taken away?

There is more to this that isn't being told, yet.

[LisaL]

48. No, absolutely not. Michelle didn't know Ariel Castro.

Gina DeJesus was a friend of Ariel Castro's daughter.

[lindysalsagal]

46. Question: Anyone know where Castro was when the women escaped? Or where they arrested him?

I'm not able to follow all the ticking news on the TV. Thanks. Just wondering how it really ended.

[ellisonz]

47. He had left to go to a relatives house.

The timeline and means by which she was able to get the door open enough to get her arm out and be heard is not clear.

He was arrested at a local McDonalds.

[lindysalsagal]

49. OK, thanks.

Glad to know they got them all out without him being allowed to fight back, or hurt them in the process.

That means they walked out freely- And that matters to me and of course to them.

It also means they didn't have to confront him in the process and will only see him again in court, which will be a good long time from now, and he'll be the one shacked and contained.

Can you imagine, being that relative, knowing it was the moment he was brought to justice?

It will be interesting when the families of these monsters start talking.

[backscatter712]

50. How could Pedro and Onil not know what Ariel was doing to those three women?

It boggles my mind? How could they not know?

[ellisonz]

51. It sounds like they here kept chained and gagged whenver anyone was over.

And he had locks on the rooms before they were kidnapped: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320902/Ariel-Castro-Son-abductor-reveals-father-padlocked-doors-basement-attic-garage-places-werent-allowed-go.html