Cleveland House of Horrors: Ariel Castro and the Dramatic 2013 Rescue of Three Imprisoned Women
In May 2013, Three women were rescued from a derelict house in Cleveland after having been kidnapped and imprisoned for years by a sadistic monster
Early Life and Abuse
Born July 10, 1960, in Yauco, Puerto Rico, Ariel Castro began his life with his father, Pedro Castro, and his mother, Lillian Rodriguez. Castro had three siblings, and though he lived his first few years in Puerto Rico, following his parents’ divorce, his mother moved him and his siblings to Pennsylvania.
The family would eventually relocate to Cleveland, Ohio, where Castro had family, including his father and some half-siblings.
Before moving to the United States, Castro’s life had already been marred by suffering. As a young boy, Castro was sexually abused both by a neighbor and his uncle. His mother was also physically abusive, often hitting Ariel with belts or sticks. This abuse naturally left the young boy with deep psychological scars.
Marriage and Domestic Violence
After the family’s move to Cleveland, Castro attended a local high school. In the 1980s, Castro met his girlfriend, Grimilda Figueroa, who lived across the street. In 1992, the couple moved into their own house together.
After the move, it became clear that their relationship was quite turbulent. Things soon became violent, and Grimilda’s sister reported that Castro was extremely physically abusive, breaking Figueroa’s nose, ribs, and arms.
Grimilda developed a tumor resulting from a blood clot in her brain brought on by the abuse, which included a fractured skull after being thrown down a flight of stairs.
Castro was arrested in 1993 on charges of domestic violence, but a grand jury failed to indict. Three years later, Grimilda moved out of the home they shared, taking custody of the couple’s four children.
This move did not spare Grimilda from continued abuse. In 2005, Grimilda again filed charges, accusing Castro of additional physical abuse and routinely abducting their children. A temporary restraining order was granted.
Grimilda passed away in 2012 due to issues arising from her inoperable brain tumor.
Abduction of Michelle White
The dissolving of his marriage and loss of access to his children created a substantial stressor in Castro’s already tumultuous life.
In August of 2002, Castro kidnapped Michelle Knight, a 21-year-old mother. Initially, police believed Michelle had skipped town, believing she was distraught at losing custody of her son.
Very few tips were ever received pertaining to her disappearance, and fifteen months after she vanished, she was removed from the National Crime Information Center Database.
Unbeknownst to authorities, Michelle was suffering unthinkable abuse at the hands of a twisted monster. After being kidnapped, Michelle was taken to Castro’s home, dragged upstairs, and bound around her hands, feet, and neck. She was left there for three days without food.
Unsurprisingly, Castro continued his pattern of violence against women. Knight was horrifically beaten, starved, and repeatedly raped. Knight believes Castro impregnated her five times during her captivity, and each time, he caused her to miscarry through excessive beatings.
It was not uncommon for Michelle to be beaten with heavy objects, like dumbbells, or thrown into walls. While in captivity, Michelle had a dog, which Castro killed in front of her after it bit him in defense.
Kidnapping of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus
Less than a year after abducting Michelle Knight, Castro kidnapped Amanda Marie Berry in April 2003. Amanda was taken the day before her 17th birthday, and like Michelle, she was originally deemed a runaway.
The police continued to work this angle for a week until Amanda’s mother received a call from a man using Amanda’s phone. The caller stated, “I have Amanda. She’s fine and will be coming home in a couple of days.”
Nearly a year after Amanda Berry’s abduction, on April 2nd, 2004, Castro kidnapped a 14-year-old girl, Gina DeJesus. Gina was taken while on her way home from middle school.
Gina was friends with Castro’s daughter Arlene. The girls had planned to sleep over at Gina’s house, but Arlene’s mother, Grimilda, said no. Gina was then picked up by Castro, whom she believed was giving her a ride home.
Tragically, Gina was not taken home but instead was brought into brutal captivity. No Amber Alert was ever issued for Gina’s disappearance, much to the dismay of her father, who demanded the law be changed to issue an alert regardless of police presumption of a disappearance.
Living Hell
For all three girls, being held captive by Castro was hell on Earth. All three victims suffered extensive sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The women were kept inside locked bedrooms with no access to the outside world.
They were frequently starved, typically only being fed once a week. The living conditions were beyond disgusting, with the girls being forced to use plastic toilets that were rarely emptied and only being permitted a maximum of two showers per week, if that.
Though the sexual abuse was constant and Michelle had been impregnated numerous times, when Amanda Berry became pregnant, Castro did not force her to miscarry. Instead, he allowed Amanda to carry to term.
Without access to prenatal care, Amanda’s pregnancy was risky. She went into labor on Christmas Day in 2006, but Castro would not allow her to go to the hospital to deliver. Instead, he set up an inflatable pool and forced Michelle to assist with the birth.
Castro threatened Michelle, stating that if the baby did not survive, he would kill her.
After delivery, the baby temporarily stopped breathing. Terrified for her own life, Michelle worked frantically to revive the newborn, and she was successful.
Amanda Berry had given birth to a surprisingly healthy baby girl. Castro raised the child as his daughter, even taking her on visits to see his mother. While still in captivity, Berry taught her child how to read and write.
The Escape
On May 6th, 2013, Castro left the house and forgot to lock one of the interior doors that held his captives. Berry noticed this, but she was cautious. On numerous occasions, Castro had left a door unlocked to test the girls, always waiting to attack and punish them if they dared try to escape.
Still, Amanda was resilient, and she was desperate to save her daughter from this hell.
Amanda made her way to the unlocked portion of the home and screamed for help from the neighbors. A neighbor, Angel Cordero, heard Berry screaming, but he was unable to understand her as he only spoke Spanish.
Soon, another neighbor, Charles Ramsey, arrived at the door, and together, he and Berry were able to kick out the bottom of the storm door. Amanda crawled through with her daughter, telling Ramsey that she’d been held captive against her will.
Ramsey immediately called the police, while Berry placed another call from a different neighbor’s home. The transcript from her 9-1-1 call read:
“Help me, I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for ten years. And I’m here. I’m free now!”
Police rushed to the scene and entered the home. As they made their way upstairs, they called out that they were with the CPD. Michelle Knight carefully peeked out from her bedroom door, and upon realizing what was happening, she ran into the arms of one of the officers, repeating, “You saved me.”
Hearing the commotion, Gina peeked out from her own prison and was also rescued by police. The three women, along with Berry’s daughter, were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Castro’s Arrest and Trial
After the women were transported to the hospital, police located Castro at a nearby McDonald’s. On May 8th, 2013, Castro was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape.
Bail was set at $8 million, two million for each count of kidnapping. Castro’s legal team asserted their intention of entering a “not guilty” plea. The grand jury offered up 329 total counts, which included 2 counts of aggravated murder for Castro, forcing Michelle to miscarry.
The county prosecutor made it clear that additional findings from the investigation would be brought before the grand jury. Castro’s attorneys continued with a not-guilty plea.
On July 12th, a month after the initial indictment, the grand jury came back with an update: the total count was now 977, which included 512 counts of kidnapping, 446 counts of rape, as well as various charges for assault, child endangerment, aggravated murder, and more.
Again, Castro pleaded not guilty, and if convicted, he would likely be sentenced to death under Ohio laws.
Castro and his attorneys were forced to reevaluate their situation, and they attempted a plea bargain. In exchange for avoiding the death penalty, Castro would plead guilty to 937 of the charges and also forfeit all of his assets as well as his right to an appeal.
On August 1st, 2013, Castro was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences, without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 1,000 years. The court also ordered a fine of $100,000 and for his house to be demolished.
At his sentencing, Castro horrifically asserted that he was a “good person” and that the sexual crimes he committed were consensual in nature.
Castro went so far as to blame the FBI for not catching him sooner and blaming the women for getting in his car. Clearly, this is not a person that is capable of remorse or regret.
During the sentencing, the victims and their families were allowed to make impact statements. Michelle Knight, Castro’s first victim, delivered a powerful address directed at Castro, saying,
“I spent eleven years in hell; now your hell is just beginning. I will overcome all that has happened, but you will face hell for eternity. I will live on, you will die a little every day as you think of the eleven years of atrocities that you inflicted on us. I can forgive you, but I will never forget.”
Suicide of Ariel Castro
Only days after the conclusion of the trial, the home where the three women were tortured was demolished.
The following month, on September 3rd, 2013, Ariel Castro was found unresponsive in his cell in an apparent suicide. Though officers tried to revive him, and he was rushed to a nearby medical center, it was too late.
Ariel Castro was pronounced dead at nearly 11 p.m. that night. Medical examiner Jan Gorniak conclusively ruled his death as a suicide.
Survivor’s Stories
Despite the horrors they endured, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus have tried their best to move on with their lives. While imprisoned by Castro, these women held onto the faith that their loved ones would never give up hope; it was this faith that kept them going.
In 2014, Michelle Knight released her book, Finding Me, which became a New York Times bestseller. In April of 2015, Amanda and Gina released their co-authored memoir Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland detailing the horrors they’d survived. The book also became a bestseller.
In 2017, on the anniversary of her kidnapping, Amanda Berry hosted a news segment on Cleveland’s Fox 8 news station. She continues this segment to the present day, spreading awareness for missing people in the hopes of bringing them home.
In 2018, Michelle Knight released another book entitled Life After Darkness: My Journey to Happiness. The same year, Gina DeJesus started a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families searching for their missing loved ones.
Knight has also started her own nonprofit, Unleashed Animal Rescue, no doubt a tribute to the memory of her dog and other animals who suffered at the hands of Castro.
Closing Thoughts
Though these three women endured the unimaginable, they have since found a way to turn their tragedy into hope for others. Their story of resilience, bravery, and triumph is powerfully moving.
To face the evil they endured and emerge victorious speaks to the true strength of these survivors.
Sources:
ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/US/life-captivity-cleveland-kidnapping-survivors-amanda-berry-gina/story?id=30532737. Accessed 11 Aug. 2024.
Aradillas, Elaine. “Ariel Castro Kidnappings: Timeline and Survivors Now.” Peoplemag, PEOPLE, 4 May 2023, people.com/crime/ariel-castro-kidnappings-cleveland-survivors-timeline/.
Ariel Castro - Victims, Death & Children, www.biography.com/crime/ariel-castro. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
“Ariel Castro Kidnappings.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Aug. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_Castro_kidnappings.