Meet Ariel Castro, the Man Who Kidnapped 3 Girls and Hid Them for 11 Years

Castro kept 3 girls hidden in his basement for 11 years, repeatedly raping and torturing them. 

An Unproductive Member of Society

Ariel Castro, originally from Puerto Rico, immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Cleveland, Ohio sometime during the 1960s. He did not have a tumultuous childhood like most criminals, but he was known to be especially harsh towards women. He and his girlfriend, Grimilda Figueroa, began dating during the 1980s. He regularly beat her, once even causing a blood clot in her brain that later resulted in a tumor. He was arrested in 1993 after cracking Figueroa’s skull. He was charged with domestic violence but was not sentenced. He and Figueroa split, with her securing primary custody of their four children. The brain tumor caused by Castro killed Figueroa in 2012. 

Castro worked as a bus driver for a school district in Cleveland. He was fired after he used the bus to go grocery shopping, making illegal U-turns with children on board, and even leaving a child on the bus while he went home to take a nap. His home was also in the process of being foreclosed after not paying his real estate taxes for three years. 

The Victims

Castro’s first victim was Michelle Knight. In 2002, he spotted her leaving her cousin’s house. He recognized her as his daughter’s friend and offered her a ride. He alluded that his daughter was at his house and wanted to see her. She was supposed to appear in court the next day to regain custody for her child. Inspectors thought she had run away. 

Castro took sixteen-year-old Amanda Berry in 2003. The last time she was heard from was from a phone call to her sister, telling her that she was getting a ride home from someone after her shift at Burger King. He lured her in with the idea that his daughter wanted to see her. Authorities also believed that she had run away after an unknown man used Amanda’s phone to call her mother and tell her that he had her under her care and that she was being well taken care of. 

The third victim was 14-year-old Gina DeJesus. She was captured in the same manner as Knight and Berry, with Castro attesting that his daughter planned a sleepover for the two of them. She was last seen at a payphone near her middle school in 2004. 

Castro raped and tortured these young girls. The three of them lived in separate rooms in Castro’s basement, chained up and starved. Knight later told the police that Castro raped and impregnated her five times. Each time, he would beat her with dumbbells until she miscarried. He also killed Knight’s pet dog one night when he was trying to protect her from being beaten. He also raped and impregnated Berry. However, he did not force her to miscarry, and she gave birth to a daughter, Jocelyn, in those conditions. It was later reported that Knight was forced to assist with the birth. Berry revealed that he never abused Jocelyn. 

On May 6, 2013, Berry managed to make contact with Castro’s neighbors. She used their phone to call 911 and told authorities that she and two other girls were held captive in Castro’s house. The three girls and Berry’s 6-year-old daughter were rescued, and Castro was arrested that same day. 

Castro’s Punishment 

On May 8, Castro pled guilty to 937 criminal counts of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated murder. He was sentenced to life in prison, plus 1,000 years. 

He claimed in court that none of the girls were virgins when he had taken them, and all of the sex was consensual. He said they lived in a happy home together.

In 2012, a police sketch was released for DeJesus’ case, which depicted a Latino man, about 5’10, and had characteristics that resembled Castro’s. He even attended a vigil for the three girls and attempted to become close with their families. 

Castro committed suicide in his prison cell on September 13, 2013, about a month after his conviction. 

Pictured above, from left to right: Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight, and Gina DeJesus. 

The three girls have since then tried to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives. Michelle Knight, who has since changed her name to Lily Rose Lee, got married in 2016. She has published two books detailing her experiences in the ‘Hell House.’ Amanda Berry is currently raising her daughter. She and DeJesus co-wrote their own book, Hope. All three survivors are involved in supporting missing persons and their families. DeJesus and her cousin are currently in the process of establishing The Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults, an organization to help find missing persons. It is located a block from her childhood home.