Ariel Castro, 52, will make his first public appearance since his arrest after emerging as the lone suspect in a case that has shocked America
A former Ohio bus driver accused of kidnapping three young women
before raping and imprisoning them for over a decade will appear in
court today.
Ariel Castro, 52, will make his first public appearance since his
arrest after emerging as the lone suspect in a case that has shocked
America.
The suspect's two brothers, Pedro, 54 and Onil, 50, were both taken into custody earlier this week but have not been charged.
Ariel Castro owned the house from which Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, were rescued by neighbours on Monday.
The three suspects are believed to have been abducted separately from the surrounding neighbourhood before allegedly being held in Mr Castro's home.
Police say the women were apparently bound by ropes and chains at times and were kept in different rooms.
According to reports they suffered prolonged sexual and psychological abuse and had miscarriages, according to a city official briefed on the case.
Castro has been charged with four counts of kidnapping — covering the captives and the daughter born to one of them — and three counts of rape, against all three women.
The women and Castro have given lengthy statements to police that have helped build their case, said Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba.
Police said that more than 200 pieces of evidence were taken from the home where it is alleged the women were held captive.
According to the BBC, Mr Castro has been co-operating with the police waiving his right to silence and also agreeing to a test to establish Jocelyn's paternity.
Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry have been reunited with their families while Michelle Knight remains in hospital.
None of the women have given any indication that Castro's two older brothers, who've been in custody since Monday, were involved, Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said.
Prosecutors brought no charges against the brothers, citing a lack of evidence.
"Ariel kept everyone at a distance," Tomba said.
One thing that remains a mystery, he said, is how the women were kept in the house so long.
"As far as the circumstances inside the home and the control he may have had over those girls ... I think that's going to take us a long time to figure that out," he said.
The women, now in their 20s and 30s, vanished separately between 2002 and 2004. At the time, they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.
At a news conference, authorities would not discuss the circumstances of their kidnapping and captivity.
City Councilman Brian Cummins earlier said: "We know that the victims have confirmed miscarriages, but with who, how many and what conditions we don't know."
"It sounds pretty gruesome," he added.
They never saw a chance to escape over the last 10 years until this week when Amanda Berry broke through a door and ran to freedom, alerting police who rescued the other two women while Castro was away from the house.
The women were assisted in their escape by neighbours, including a Mr Charles Ramsey, whose subsequent frank television interviews made him a global internet sensation.
According to unconfirmed reports, based on court documents published on 'The Smoking Gun' website, Mr Ramsey himself had three domestic violence convictions that resulted in prison terms.
"Something must have clicked and she saw an opportunity and she took that opportunity," said Tomba.
Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, who is in her early 20s, were welcomed home yesterday by jubilant crowds of loved ones and neighbors with balloons and banners. Family members hustled them inside, past hundreds of reporters and onlookers.
Neither woman spoke.
"This is the best Mother's Day I could ever have," said Nancy Ruiz, Gina's mother. She said she hugged her daughter and didn't want to let go.
The Mother's Day holiday is on Sunday in the US.
According to reports police have begun searching other properties near Mr Castro's home after Ms Knight told authorities she believed there could be other girls being held.
Fox News reported that Ms Knight told police of a possible fourth victim, but police have so far made no comment.
The suspect's two brothers, Pedro, 54 and Onil, 50, were both taken into custody earlier this week but have not been charged.
Ariel Castro owned the house from which Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, were rescued by neighbours on Monday.
The three suspects are believed to have been abducted separately from the surrounding neighbourhood before allegedly being held in Mr Castro's home.
Police say the women were apparently bound by ropes and chains at times and were kept in different rooms.
According to reports they suffered prolonged sexual and psychological abuse and had miscarriages, according to a city official briefed on the case.
Castro has been charged with four counts of kidnapping — covering the captives and the daughter born to one of them — and three counts of rape, against all three women.
The women and Castro have given lengthy statements to police that have helped build their case, said Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba.
Police said that more than 200 pieces of evidence were taken from the home where it is alleged the women were held captive.
According to the BBC, Mr Castro has been co-operating with the police waiving his right to silence and also agreeing to a test to establish Jocelyn's paternity.
Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry have been reunited with their families while Michelle Knight remains in hospital.
None of the women have given any indication that Castro's two older brothers, who've been in custody since Monday, were involved, Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said.
Prosecutors brought no charges against the brothers, citing a lack of evidence.
"Ariel kept everyone at a distance," Tomba said.
One thing that remains a mystery, he said, is how the women were kept in the house so long.
"As far as the circumstances inside the home and the control he may have had over those girls ... I think that's going to take us a long time to figure that out," he said.
The women, now in their 20s and 30s, vanished separately between 2002 and 2004. At the time, they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.
At a news conference, authorities would not discuss the circumstances of their kidnapping and captivity.
City Councilman Brian Cummins earlier said: "We know that the victims have confirmed miscarriages, but with who, how many and what conditions we don't know."
"It sounds pretty gruesome," he added.
They never saw a chance to escape over the last 10 years until this week when Amanda Berry broke through a door and ran to freedom, alerting police who rescued the other two women while Castro was away from the house.
The women were assisted in their escape by neighbours, including a Mr Charles Ramsey, whose subsequent frank television interviews made him a global internet sensation.
According to unconfirmed reports, based on court documents published on 'The Smoking Gun' website, Mr Ramsey himself had three domestic violence convictions that resulted in prison terms.
"Something must have clicked and she saw an opportunity and she took that opportunity," said Tomba.
Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, who is in her early 20s, were welcomed home yesterday by jubilant crowds of loved ones and neighbors with balloons and banners. Family members hustled them inside, past hundreds of reporters and onlookers.
Neither woman spoke.
"This is the best Mother's Day I could ever have," said Nancy Ruiz, Gina's mother. She said she hugged her daughter and didn't want to let go.
The Mother's Day holiday is on Sunday in the US.
According to reports police have begun searching other properties near Mr Castro's home after Ms Knight told authorities she believed there could be other girls being held.
Fox News reported that Ms Knight told police of a possible fourth victim, but police have so far made no comment.
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