Author Topic: Three women, missing for a decade, found alive in US (Read 3744 times)

hubag bohol · « **on:** May 08, 2013, 10:36:59 AM »

AFP NewsBy Mira Oberman | AFP News â€“ 22 hours ago

FBI file photos of Amanda Berry (L) and Georgina DeJesus, both of whom went missing as teenagers about a decade ago and were found alive May 6, 2013 in a residential area of Cleveland, Ohio, not far from where they were last seen. A third woman, Michelle Knight, was also found in the same house. Three men have been arrested in the case.

Three young women who had been missing for a decade -- two of whom disappeared as teenagers -- have been found alive in a house in Cleveland, police in the US state of Ohio said.

The dramatic discovery drew hundreds of cheering people to the usually quiet, residential street to celebrate the news that the women, long feared dead, were very much alive.

The details of the trauma they may have suffered in captivity were not yet known, but it appeared that at least one of the girls had borne a child during her captivity.

The nightmare ended when Amanda Berry reached her arm through a crack in the front door and called for help.

"I heard screaming... And I see this girl going nuts trying to get outside of the house," Charles Ramsey told the local ABC news affiliate.

"I go on the porch, and she said 'Help me get out. I've been here a long time.'"

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2013, 10:37:49 AM »

Ramsey said he tried to get her out through the door but could not pull it open, so he kicked out the bottom and she crawled through "carrying a little girl."

Berry went into a neighboring home and called police, begging them to come as soon as they could "before he gets back."

"I'm Amanda Berry. I've been kidnapped. I've been missing for 10 years. I'm free. I'm here now," Berry said in the recording of her frantic call to 911.

She told the dispatcher that the man who had held her captive was called Ariel Castro. When police arrived she told them there were other captives in the home.

"All three women, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight, seem to be in good health," Cleveland police said in a statement.

"A 52-year-old Hispanic male has been placed under arrest regarding this incident."

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2013, 10:38:51 AM »

Berry was last seen on April 21, 2003 when she left work at a fast food restaurant that was just a few blocks from her home around 7:40 pm, according to the FBI. She was 16 when she disappeared.

Her mother, Louwanna Miller, reportedly died of heart failure in March 2006.

DeJesus was 14 when she vanished while walking home from school on April 2, 2004.

Knight, who was 21 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen at a cousin's house on August 23, 2002, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Kayla Rogers, 23, went to school with DeJesus and joined the crowd gathered near the house on Seymore Avenue where her friend had been held captive.

"They don't find people who go missing, you know," Rogers, 23, told the Plain Dealer.

"I'm at a loss for words."

Rogers said she only attended one vigil over the years, because it was too painful.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #3 on:** May 08, 2013, 10:41:01 AM »

Neighbor Charlie Czorba said he was stunned by how long the women had lived at the house undetected.

"This is our own backyard," Czorba told the paper. "These girls were locked up in our own backyard."

Castro was described by neighbors as a friendly school bus driver and musician whose daughter would often come over with his grandchildren.

Tasheena Mitchell, 26, said she didn't believe her brother at first when he called to tell her that their cousin Amanda had been found alive.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2013, 10:41:39 AM »

She'd had her hopes dashed by false reports before. But this time, it was true. So she rushed to the hospital in hopes of confirming it with her own eyes.

"She was my best friend," Mitchell told the Plain Dealer.

A friend interrupted her, "She's alive. She is your best friend."

"You're right," Mitchell continued. "She is my best friend. I'm so nervous. I'm so excited. They won't let me inside. But I will stay here all night if I have to."

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2013, 10:42:02 AM »

An emergency room doctor who treated the three women said they were in fair condition and were being evaluated.

"This isn't the ending we usually hear to these stories so we're very happy for them," Gerald Maloney told reporters.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said he was "thankful that these three young ladies are found and alive."

"We have many unanswered questions regarding this case, and the investigation will be ongoing," Jackson said in a statement.

Police said they would provide more details at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:27:52 AM »

'Miracles really do happen': Bizarre final Facebook post of Ariel Castro before he was arrested for kidnap along with two brothers

Ariel Castro, 52, a former school bus driver, has been named as the prime suspect in abduction of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight

Two of Castro's brothers also arrested in the case

Their uncle, Julio Castro, says he never wants to see his nephews again

By Thomas Durante and Rachel Quigley
PUBLISHED: 04:20 GMT, 7 May 2013 | UPDATED: 18:09 GMT, 7 May 2013

The prime suspect in the astonishing kidnapping case of three women held captive for ten years posted a final message on Facebook saying: 'Miracles really do happen'.

Ariel Castro, 52, of Cleveland, Ohio, was arrested on Monday after one of his alleged victims escaped his home and called police and is now in custody along with his two brothers.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:28:44 AM »

Neighbors in the street were shocked to hear that Castro, who was a school bus driver in the Cleveland area until last year, could be capable of abducting three innocent teenagers from the street and tying them up with chains in his basement.

Castro's Facebook page depicts a man with a passion for motorcycles and the bass guitar.

His last post to the social networking site on May 2 says: 'Miracles really do happen, God is good

'

The man who came to Amanda Berry's rescue, Charles Ramsey, expressed disbelief that his neighbor could be capable of such a disturbed and shocking crime.

He told NewsNet5: 'I've been here a year. I barbeque with this dude, we eat ribs and what not and listen to salsa music. Not a clue that that girl was in that house or that anyone else was in there with.

'He just comes out to his backyard, plays with the dogs, tinkering with his cars and motorcycles and goes back in the house.

'He's somebody you look and then you look away because he's just doing normal stuff. You got some big testicles to pull this one off because we see this guy every day.'

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:29:58 AM »

Sources close to local station WOIO said the women were reportedly tied up during their captivity and police found chains hanging from one of the ceilings.

They also reported there were signs that dirt had recently been moved in the backyard of the house, though police continue to investigate whether or not the dirt will lead to any new evidence in the case.

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jorgeanna · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:32:42 AM »

kuyawa man ni nga news oi. shocking but God is good all the time gyud mao naa pa gyud 2nd chances ang mga women

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:32:45 AM »

Ariel Castro, 52; Pedro Castro, 54; Onil Castro, 50

Castro has lived in the house since 1992. His two brothers - Pedro, 54, and O'Neal, 50, - do not live at the home but were arrested in connection with the three abductions.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:36:46 AM »

Records show that Castro was arrested for domestic violence and disorderly conduct in December, 1993, though details of this are not yet available.

He was also stopped six times by Cleveland Police between 1995 and 2008 for traffic violations.

In a press conference today, it was revealed that police were called to the house in January 2004, after Castro left a child on his bus at the depot. They were not able to get anyone at the home and police did not follow up on it.

After an investigation, no criminal intent was found.

There are no other records of any violations or complaints in relation to the address.

He was a school bus driver in the area until November 2012, when he was let go after doing an illegal U-turn with children on the bus, according to the Cleveland Leader.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #12 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:38:15 AM »

Jannette Gomez, 50, who often visits family and friends on the street, said Castro would park his motorcycle and red pickup truck behind the house, lock the gate and enter the house through a back door.

Occasionally, he would turn on a dim porch light, but the house was always dark, she told The Plain Dealer. Shades blocked the windows, and at least one window was boarded up.

Gomez said he never had much to say, she said. He would say 'Hi' back, but there was never much conversation.

The county prosecutor joined dozens of police officers and sheriff's deputies at the scene as they began searching the house late on Monday.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #13 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:38:51 AM »

Authorities say the women have been taken to a hospital to reunite with relatives and seem to be in good health.

Michelle Knight had been missing since 2002, Amanda Berry since 2003 and Gina DeJesus since 2004.

Remarkably, Castro's son - also named Ariel who now goes by 'Anthony' - penned an article for the Cleveland Plain Press about the disappearance of Miss DeJesus back in 2004 when he was a journalism student.

He even interviewed her mother for the piece, not knowing that the teen was tied up in a basement owned by his father.

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taga tigbao · « **Reply #14 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:39:15 AM »

Grabe. Daghan ra bang cases nga ingani sa America. Diha koy nabasahan nga mga mass disappearance nga hangtud karon wa pa masulbad.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #15 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:39:20 AM »

He started the story with: 'Neighborhood residents have been taken by an overwhelming need for caution. Parents are more strictly enforcing curfews, encouraging their children to walk in groups, or driving them to and from school when they had previously walked alone.

'One thing is for certain, however. Almost everyone feels a connection with the family, and Ginaâ€™s disappearance has the whole area talking.'

Mother Nancy Ruiz told him at the time: 'You can tell the difference. People are watching out for each otherâ€™s kids.

'Itâ€™s a shame that a tragedy had to happen for me to really know my neighbors. Bless their hearts, theyâ€™ve been great.'

Anthony Castro told WKYC-TV reporter Sara Shookman yesterday: 'This is beyond comprehension â€¦ Iâ€™m truly stunned right now.'

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #16 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:40:53 AM »

Alleged abductor: Ariel Castro was a local bus driver in the Cleveland area and was a quiet and mysterious figure in the neighborhood where no one really knew him well

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #17 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:46:38 AM »

'He was a fun guy. I mean,
parents trusted him.
He talked to the parents.
He was just a regular guy
on the street.
He put on that great mask
that everyone thought
he was a good guy.'

- Neighbor Juan Perez

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #18 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:51:12 AM »

Also struck by the allegations, the suspects' uncle, Julio Castro, told CNN: 'I never want to see them again. For me, it's bad on one side and good on the other side.'

Julio Castro said his nephew used to play bass in various bands that performed at a local club once owned by DeJesus' uncle.

He said he believes his nephew knew the family from the club and the neighborhood.

Another neighbor Juan Perez told News Channel 5: 'He was a nice guy, he would come around and say hi. He gave the kids rides up and down the street on his four-wheeler.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #19 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:51:39 AM »

'Iâ€™ve known him since I was like five or six years old myself, he would asked me if I wanted a ride. He seemed like he was a good guy to the kids that were here, I don't think he had any bad (attention).'

He also revealed that his sister once heard a scream come from the home and called police but nothing ever came of it. Looking back, he said, he should have seen the signs that something was not quite right.

'Now it's like, red-flag, red-flag, red-flag, somebody should've said something and my sister actually a few years ago heard a scream and she called police.

'He was a fun guy. I mean, parents trusted him. He talked to the parents. He was just a regular guy on the street. He put on that great mask that everyone thought he was a good guy.'

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #20 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:52:01 AM »

Police didn't immediately provide any details of how the women were found but said they appeared to be in good health and had been taken to a hospital to be reunited with relatives and to be evaluated.

They said a six-year-old also was found in the home.

On a recorded 911 call Monday, Amanda declared: 'I'm Amanda Berry. I've been on the news for the last 10 years.'

She said she had been taken by someone and begged for police officers to arrive at the home on Cleveland's west side before he returned.

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islander · « **Reply #21 on:** May 08, 2013, 02:23:23 PM »

Neighbors in the street were shocked to hear that Castro, who was a school bus driver in the Cleveland area until last year, could be capable of abducting three innocent teenagers from the street and tying them up with chains in his basement.

leche, con hielo! convicted criminals are better off because at least they are not chained. even our dogs are better off because they're leashed only when they walk for exercise and their toilet functions. namuypoy ko. never gyod ko nga mosugot ug sleepovers at friends' homes for our daughter. na-paranoid na ko ani.

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islander · « **Reply #22 on:** May 08, 2013, 02:28:24 PM »

Anthony Castro told WKYC-TV reporter Sara Shookman yesterday: 'This is beyond comprehension â€¦ Iâ€™m truly stunned right now.'

you have my sympathy, son. this is irony to the max that one could not even imagine in his worst nightmares.

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