Thursday, May 9, 2013

'Happy abduction day': Cleveland victims reveal how Ariel Castro 'gave them cakes to celebrate anniversaries of being kidnapped'

The man who abducted three teenagers and held them captive in his house for ten years would buy the girls a cake every year on the anniversary he kidnapped them in some kind of sick ritual to replace their birthdays.
Ariel Castro, 52, is due to appear in court today on four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape following his arrest on Monday after the three women managed to escape from his home.
It was also revealed that Michelle Knight was forced to give Amanda Berry and her newborn daughter CPR after Castro allegedly threatened to kill them.
Knight, now 32, says she saved the life of Berry's daughter Jocelyn when she was born in an inflatable pool six years ago at the 'house of horrors'.
Castro allegedly told the girls that if the baby died, he would kill Amanda.
Michelle Knight    Michelle Knight
First pictures: Michelle Knight, pictured as a teenager before her disappearance in 2002, has told authorities how her abductor repeatedly punched her in the stomach to force her to miscarry her child

The details emerged in a leaked police report which just scratched the surface of what the women had to endure while they were held captive - most of the time in chains - at the house.
The report goes into detail on the harrowing minutes Knight battled to save Jocelyn's life after her daughter was born.

It said Castro stood over them as the girl was delivered. It is not known what - if any - medical supplies were used during the birth six years ago.
She said that she put her mouth to Jocelyn's and 'breathed for her' - to save both their lives.
After saving the infant's life, Knight was told to clean up the mess.


Castro initially held all three women chained up in the basement, the report says, but later allowed them to live together on the second floor after years in captivity.
On the two occasions they were allowed out into the daylight, they were taken out into the backyard, but were heavily disguised with wigs and sunglasses.
And in a bizarre and twisted ritual, Castro marked the date of each woman's abductions every year by serving them dinner and a cake, one victim's cousin told the New York Times.

Castro also made sure Jocelyn - his daughter with Amanda - did not know the real names of DeJesus or Knight - because he didn't want the young girl to repeat their names in public.
Knight told investigators she fell pregnant five times, but lost the baby each time. She said she was starved and repeatedly punched in the stomach to force her to miscarry.
DeJesus told police that she did not think she ever became pregnant during her captivity.
The report said that none of the three women ever saw a doctor or had medical treatment in the decade they were held captive.
It also reveals how when police forced their way into the house a terrified DeJesus jumped into the arms of the police officer.
The report obtained by NBC station WKYC reveals for the first time how Berry was able to escape and raise the alarm.
Locked up: Brothers Ariel, Onil and Pedro Castro (l-r) were all arrested on kidnapping charges after it is believed that they held young women at a Cleveland home for ten years
Locked up: Brothers Ariel, Onil and Pedro Castro (l-r) were all arrested on kidnapping charges after it is believed that they held young women at a Cleveland home for ten years
Knight said she was in the area of West 106th Street and Lorain Avenue when Castro offered her a ride home in August 2002.
But instead, he took her to his house where he chained her up in the basement, the report said.
Berry was walking home from her job at Burger King in April, 2003 on West 110th Street and Lorain Avenue when Castro offered her a ride home, saying that his son also worked at Burger King.
DeJesus told police that Castro initially approached her with his own daughter, who were friends and attended the same school.
Castro later returned without his daughter and told DeJesus that he would give her a ride to his house so they could hang out, the report said.
But as with the other girls he drove to his home in Seymour Avenue where they were taken captive.
After the three girls escaped, police arrested Castro and his brother, Onil, in the McDonald's parking lot on Clark Avenue after blocking Castro's blue Mazda Miata convertible.
After they were handcuffed, Onil Castro asked police if this was about his brother, Pedro. 'If so, he's over at our mom's house on Hyde Avenue,' the report stated.
Police responding to the address found Pedro Castro passed out in the backyard of the home wearing a pair of shorts but no shirt.
Scene: The women were helped out of this home on Seymour Avenue that belongs to Ariel Castro
Scene: The women were helped out of this home on Seymour Avenue that belongs to Ariel Castro
Berry told police that Castro forgot to lock what she called the 'big inside door' at the property in Seymour Avenue.
She said he had left the house to walk to a nearby McDonalds to buy food for the four captives.
Berry said that a storm door on the house was still locked and she was afraid to break it open as she 'thought Castro was testing her' said the report.
There had been previous reports that Castro played cruel games with the girls by pretending to go out, but instead lie in wait to see if they would try to leave.
If they did, he would catch them and allegedly beat them.
After Berry managed to make a frantic 911 call police arrived at the house and the report said they checked the basement and then walked to the second floor.
The report says: 'As we neared the top of the steps, Officer Espada hollered out, 'Cleveland Police,' at which time... Knight ran and threw herself into [Officer] Espada's arms.
'We then asked if there was anyone else upstairs with her, when [DeJesus] came out of the bedroom.'Investigation: FBI agents remove evidence from the house where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately ten years ago, were found alive on Monday
Investigation: FBI agents remove evidence from the house where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately ten years ago, were found alive on Monday
The back of the home of Ariel Castro on Seymour Ave: A broken window can be seen at the top of the house which may have been previously used by the girls to escape
The back of the home of Ariel Castro on Seymour Ave: One neighbor says she once saw a little girl looking out of the house's attic window

Espada wrote that when he put Knight down, DeJesus lept into the officer's arms.
The revelations came as Ariel Castro was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape after he allegedly confessed to abducting the three young women and holding them captive in his home for about ten years.
Police announced the charges on Wednesday - two days after Castro and his two brothers Pedro and Onil were arrested.
Ariel will make his first court appearance on Thursday amid tight security at Cleveland Municipal Court.
His brothers will not be charged in connection with the kidnapping of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, police said, due to lack of evidence.
Locked in: Castro used chicken wire and blue tarpaulin to make an eight-foot high fence and let the trees and bushes go overgrown so nobody could see in
Locked in: Castro used chicken wire and blue tarpaulin to make an eight-foot high fence and let the trees and bushes go overgrown so nobody could see in
They do, however, have outstanding misdemeanor warrants unrelated to the case which are being dealt with separately by cops.
'There is no evidence that these two individuals had any involvement' in the crimes committed against the three women, Cleveland's Chief Assistant Prosecutor Victor Perez said.
In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, police chief Ed Tomba said the women did not have any opportunity to escape and had only been outside the house twice in the last ten years.
'We were told they left the house and went into the garage in disguise. They never left the property.'
He added: 'The first time they have been outside the house in ten years was when they escaped from the house' he said.

He said Castro had been cooperating fully with police and had made a detailed statement having read his rights.
His two brothers will also appear in court on Thursday on the outstanding misdemeanor warrants.
It was also revealed in the press conference that Ariel Castro waived his Miranda rights and provided a detailed statement to police. He claimed there are no more victims.
The brothers spent their first nights in jail hearing death threats from fellow inmates and cries of 'don't feed the rapist'.
They were kept in separate cells at the Central Prison Unit at the Cleveland Police Headquarters in Ohio..
But the inmates' threats and abuse seemed to have little effect on the three brothers who reportedly slept soundly through the night.
One prison guard told the New York Daily News: 'They seem relaxed. Mostly they’ve just been sleeping with their heads under the pillows like they don’t want to be bothered.'
Freed: Amanda Berry (center), Gina DeJesus (left) and Michelle Knight (right) were held captive for ten years after being abducting from the street between 2002 and 2004
Freed: Amanda Berry (center), Gina DeJesus (left) and Michelle Knight (right) were held captive for ten years after being abducting from the street between 2002 and 2004
Tomba did not say what the misdemeanors were but said they could be sentenced to time already served having been in custody for the past 48 hours.

He said they were arrested because they were with Ariel when police swooped to seize him after the women escaped.

Tomba told a press conference at the Cleveland Public Hall that they do not believe there are any other victims and were not looking for any other bodies.

He said the three women had made detailed statements to the police and FBI.

Tomba said they were carrying out DNA tests to determine the father of the Amanda's six-year-old daughter Jocelyn.

Asked whose the child was, Tomba said: 'She is Amanda Berry's daughter.'

Tomba said he could not talk about any other babies born at the Seymour Avenue address or if the women were chained up with ropes and chains.

'This is an ongoing investigation,' he said.

Tomba said police recovered over 200 items taken from Castro's home by the FBI evidence response team.

The police chief said Berry was the true hero and the circumstances of the control he had over the women had yet to be determined.
Arrested: The three Castro brothers were being taunted by prisoners at the Cleveland prison as sources said the police investigation was focused on Ariel Castro
Arrested: The three Castro brothers were being taunted by prisoners at the Cleveland prison as sources said the police investigation was focused on Ariel Castro
Tomba said the Seymour Avenue address was in 'disarray'.

City prosecutor Victor Perez said like the Castro's he was from Puerto Rico and added: 'I want everyone to know that the acts of the defendant is not a reflection of the Puerto Rican community here and in Puerto Rico.'
Two of the kidnap victims Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry returned home to their families on Wednesday.
Miss Berry was accompanied by her six-year-old daughter Jocelyn who was born in captivity.
It was revealed on Tuesday that Ariel had written a suicide note which was found inside the home where he kept three young women captive for the last ten years.
The note allegedly outlined what he did and why he did it. He talks about having a sex addiction and needing help because of family problems and a poor childhood.
Incredulously, he also puts blame on the victims for getting into the car with him on the day he ruthlessly snatched them off the street, according to WOIO.
Freedom: Kidnap survivor Gina DeJesus gives the thumbs up today as she arrives home in Cleveland while her alleged captors were behind bars
Freedom: Kidnap survivor Gina DeJesus gives the thumbs up today as she arrives home in Cleveland while her alleged captors were behind bars

Emotional return: Two individuals enter the home in Cleveland, Ohio, shielding their identities with hooded sweatshirts. They are believed to kidnap survivor Amanda Berry and her six-year-old daughter Jocelyn, who is being carried
Emotional return: Two individuals enter the home in Cleveland, Ohio, shielding their identities with hooded sweatshirts. They are believed to kidnap survivor Amanda Berry and her six-year-old daughter Jocelyn, who is being carried

Escape route: The front door of a house where the women escaped after a neighbor helped them
Escape route: The front door of a house where the women escaped after a neighbor helped them
DAILYMAIL

No comments: