Crime

Ariel Castro, 52, who has been arrested as the suspect who kidnapped and held captive three young women in his Cleveland home for a decade, will plead not guilty if indicted on kidnapping and rape charges, according to the man's lawyer.

Attorney Craig Weintraub says that Castro is not a "monster" as he has been portrayed in the media, stating:

"The initial portrayal by the media has been one of a 'monster' and that's not the impression that I got when I talked to him for three hours. I know that family members who have been interviewed by the media have expressed that as well."

One of the women held in Castro's home on Seymour Avenue for 10 years, Amanda Berry, has a six-year-old daughter named Jocelyn by Castro. Attorney Jaye Schlachet notes:

"I can tell you that Mr. Castro is extremely committed to the well being and positive future for his daughter, who he loves dearly. And if people find that to be a disconnect from what he's alleged to have done, then the people will just have to deal with it. We just know how he feels about his little girl."

Two other women - Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight - were also rescued at the same time Amanda Berry escaped from Castro's home.

Kidnapped in April 2003 at the age of 16, Amanda Berry was freed earlier this month after escaping the abductor who held her captive for a decade. Berry, now 27, had been sexually abused by her captor and gave birth to her six-year-old daughter during the time she was held against her will. Now, her relatives in Tennessee are hoping that she will join them there to start a new life.

Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, passed away while she was being held captive in the Seymour Ave. home, just miles from where she lived in Cleveland. Her mother never gave up hope that she would be found alive.

Berry's relatives are hoping that she will move to Tennessee so that she can be closer to her father and extended family.

Ariel Castro is accused of holding three women - Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight - captive in his Cleveland home for a decade. Castro's brothers, Onil and Pedro Castro, said during an interview with CNN that they want the women to know how sorry they are for what they've been through, and hope that Ariel "rots in Jail."

Pedro Castro said:

"I'm just grateful they are home and out of that horrible house, and I'd just tell them I'm sorry for what Ariel done."

Pedro and Onil say that they have no sympathy for Ariel Castro, "brother or no brother", and one even referred to him as a "monster." Onil Castro also commented that he wanted Ariel to "suffer in that jail to the last extent."

Pedro Castro added:

"I don't care if they even feed him," Pedro Castro said. "The monster's a goner."

Pedro Castro also said that he was shocked to learn that Gina DeJesus was one of his victims, because they had known her father for a long time and Ariel had even gone to a vigil for her when she went missing. He also said that he'd been in the house, but never noticed anything strange. He did, however, say that part of the house was blocked off by curtains and a radio or TV was always on.

19 people were injured when gunfire during an informal Mother's Day parade in New Orleans on Sunday, said police. Among the injured were two young children.

The shots were fired at 1:45pm local time as the second line of the parade passed the 1400 block of Frenchmen Street in the city.

Ten men and seven women were shot in addition to a 10-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. A spokesman for the police department said that the children were grazed and are in good condition, adding that "many of the victims were grazed by some bullets that ricocheted." Two victims are undergoing surgery.

Spokesman Jim Wooley read a statement from the three young women who were kidnapped and held captive at a Seymour Ave. home in Cleveland for a decade or more, and thanked law enforcement, their supporters, and all of the prayers that have been said for them. The families of the girls also requested continued privacy in the statements read outside the Justice Center.

Amanda Berry is quoted in the statement as saying:

Thank you so much for everything you're doing and continue to do. I am so happy to be home with my family."

Gina DeJesus also said in the statement:

"I'm so happy to be home and want to thank everybody for all your prayers. I just want time now to be with my family."

And Michelle Knight, the first of the three to have been kidnapped, said:

"Thank you to everyone for your support and good wishes. I am healthy, happy and safe and will reach out to family, friends and supporters in good time."

Preliminary results from DNA testing have confirmed that Ariel Castro, the 52-year-old man accused of kidnapping and raping three young women, is the father of the 6-year-old girl who was born in captivity.

The girl, Jocelyn, is the daughter of Amanda Berry. Berry is one of three women who was kidnapped and held captive for a decade at Castro's Seymour Ave. home in Cleveland.

According to the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a sample of Castro's DNA was received late Thursday afternoon. BCI staff worked through the night to confirm the paternity of the girl.

Ariel Castro, the man accused of kidnapping, raping and torturing Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight for a decade at his Seymour Avenue home in Cleveland, Ohio, has reportedly confessed to some of the crimes that he is accused of. According to law enforcement sources, the confessions came when he gave detailed statements during interrogation.

Castro is being held on $2 million bond, and is under suicide watch. Additional charges are forthcoming.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty is said to be exploring a number of possible charges, which could lead to the prosecution seeking the death penalty.

Law enforcement sources indicates that Michelle Knight, one of the three women who had been missing for more than a decade and found alive in a west side Cleveland home on Monday, told police that there was another woman in the home when she got there.

Knight went missing in 2002, when she was 20-years-old. The other two women - Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus - went missing in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

Knight reportedly told authorities that one day she woke up and the woman was gone. There is also said to be writing on the wall in the basement which includes the name of the woman, and says "Rest in Peace". Authorities, however, are not sure if it is related to the case at this time.

On Monday, three women who had been missing for a decade or more were found alive in a Seymour Ave. home on Cleveland's near west side. A 6-year-old girl was also removed from the home, and is believed to be the daughter of one of the abducted women, Amanda Berry. It is not clear if more than one child had been born, but law enforcement sources say that they are now investigating allegations that the three missing women may have been pregnant multiple times.

Sources also indicate that Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight, who went missing in 2003, 2004, and 2002, respectively, were also malnourished and that Knight may have suffered hearing loss and structural damage to her face. Knight reportedly has told authorities that she was hit in the head.

Officials held a press conference Tuesday morning in regards to the discovery and rescue of three young women - Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight - held captive in a near west side Cleveland home for about a decade. A girl found in the home where the women were held is believed to be the daughter of one of the victims, said police.

The child is described as about 6-years-old, and is believed to be the daughter of Amanda Berry. Berry's call to police on Monday led to the rescue of the three women.

Three brothers - Ariel, Onil, and Pedro Castro - have been arrested in the case and will be charged, officials said.

According to Cleveland Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba, the girl was among those living in the home located on Seymour Ave. Tomba declined to answer any questions about whom the father is, but may have speculated that it is likely one of her captors.