Ariel Castro Charged; Brothers Are Not

Amanda Berry escaped when he left inside door unlocked
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted May 8, 2013 4:35 PM CDT
Updated May 8, 2013 5:05 PM CDT
Ariel Castro Charged; Brothers Are Not
This undated combination photo released by the Cleveland Police Department shows from left, Onil Castro, Ariel Castro, and Pedro Castro.   (AP Photo/Cleveland Police Department)

The first charges in the Cleveland kidnapping case have been filed, and Ariel Castro faces four counts of kidnapping (that includes the 6-year-old daughter of Amanda Berry) and three counts of rape, reports the Plain Dealer. Authorities, however, say his brothers Onil and Pedro will not be charged because no evidence suggests they were involved. A police report also sheds light on how Berry escaped: Castro left a "big inside door" unlocked, and Berry took advantage even though she feared it was a test, reports NBC News. “From what we know, their only opportunity to escape was the other day when Amanda escaped,” said Capt. Ed Tomba at a briefing today. Other developments from the briefing and police report:

  • Tomba said the women were never allowed to leave the property in more than a decade; he said they were allowed to go into the garage only twice in that time, disguised in wigs and sunglasses.
  • Castro forced Michelle Knight to deliver Berry's child in a kiddie pool inside the house and threatened to kill Knight if the baby died, said the police report.
  • Knight told police that Castro impregnated her five times. But each time, she said he gave her little food and punched her in the stomach repeatedly until she miscarried.
  • Castro got all three young women to his home by offering them rides in his car, according to the police report. For instance, he told Berry, who was walking home from work in her Burger King uniform, that he had a son who worked there.
  • The women were kept in separate rooms but were aware of each other's presence, said Tomba.
  • Castro has waived his rights and is cooperating with police, reports CNN.
(More Cleveland stories.)

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