Police Need to Question Castro’s Children

More than ten-years ago, the son of one of the suspects now charged with the Cleveland abductions, ARIEL ANTHONY CASTRO, coincidently, did a story concerning GEORGINA DeJESUS being missing.  A student journalist writing for the Ohio PLAIN PRESS, speaking about her disappearance, he said neighbors could be seen throughout the community posting her photograph trying to find her.  And interviewing her mother, he described NANCY RUIZ as hopeful someone might find her commenting friends everywhere were looking.

But that’s “not” the only disturbing coincidence–further complicating the investigation–another sibling ARLENE CASTRO said she was the last person to see DeJESUS before she disappeared.  Walking home from middle school, CASTRO said the two girls telephoned her mother–asking whether she could do a sleepover.  Told she could not spend the night, she said the two girls parted company and that was the last time she or anyone else saw DeJESUS.  She said she used her friend’s bus money just so she could make the telephone call.  But despite being the last person to see her, CASTRO said she had no idea her father was responsible for her friend’s abduction.  Not having enough bus money–walking home alone–police think GEORGINA probably accepted a ride from CASTRO’s father thinking she was safe.

Unlike JACEE LEE DUGARD who was kidnaped in South Lake Tahoe and went missing for 18-years, police didn’t have witnesses suggesting GEORGINA, age-23, was kidnapped.  Nor did they have any reports suggesting MICHELLE KNIGHT, age-31, and AMANDA BERRY, age-27, were abducted, but the cases are strikingly similar.  Following their abduction, the Cleveland women were bound with chains, tortured and sexually abused, with one account suggesting at least one woman was impregnated–AMANDA BERRY–who gave birth to a girl, now 6-years old, with other reports suggesting others were born as well.

Neighbors said they ate barbeque with ARIEL CASTRO, age-52, now charged with the crimes.  While the women were being held captive in the house, they said on occasion he could be seen fixing his motorcycle in the backyard.  Being held also for questioning are ARIEL’s brothers–PEDRO, age-54, and ONEIL, age-50.  News reports didn’t state whether the brothers lived together, but their connection to the crimes must have been obvious or at least probable since all three individuals were arrested.

Looking at the DUGARD case, both school children and her stepdad saw the kidnaping, but with the Cleveland abductions authorities didn’t have any witnesses.  When MICHELLE KNIGHT disappeared, police reports said she was 20-years old.  Family members thought she simply left home having lost a custody dispute involving her son.  They thought she was angry about the loss of her child so she just left home indicating family members were not sure what happened.

With AMANDA BERRY police thought she was a runaway despite regularly attending school and having good grades.  One day shy of her 17-birthday, police said she was last seen at the local Burger King where she worked.  Finding her uniform, investigators thought she made it home.  But aside from her disappearance, police had no evidence suggesting foul play.  Cops said her mother reported she was contacted by someone using her daughter’s cell phone stating she had been married and would return soon, but the caller never called again and she didn’t return.  BERRY’s mother was hopeful AMANDA might be found someday, but in 2006, sadly she died–suffering a heart attack–never knowing whether her daughter was either alive or dead.

Despite a $25,000 reward and pleas for their return–periodically seen broadcast on AMERICA’s MOST WANTED–the girls remained missing until yesterday, when a neighbor heard BERRY’s screams for help–kicking in a door and freeing the women.  Because of the strange circumstances surrounding the abductions and the peculiar information that has come forth concerning the CASTRO children, police need to ask themselves what family members knew and/or suspected while conducting the investigation, otherwise the public will never be satisfied the cops got the right answers.