52 year old kidnapper from Cleveland, Ariel Castro, who abducted and held three women for a decade has been charged with four counts of kidnap and three counts of rape. The first three kidnapping charges are for the three women he abducted, Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23 and Michelle Knight, 32. The fourth is for the daughter of Amanda, Jocelyn, who was born in captivity.
Fox News has more on the story:
A Cleveland man was charged with kidnapping and rape Wednesday after investigators say he held three young women captive for years, binding them with ropes and chains in his home and only allowing them out a few times in disguise.
Ariel Castro, 52, is charged with four counts of kidnapping, covering the captives and the daughter born to one of them, and three counts of rape against all three women, prosecutor Victor Perez said Wednesday afternoon.
He will make his first public appearance in court Thursday after emerging as the lone suspect.
A city councilman briefed on the case said the women were subjected to prolonged sexual and psychological abuse and suffered miscarriages, never finding a chance to escape until this week.
Councilman Brian Cummins said that many details remain unclear, including the number of pregnancies and the conditions under which the miscarriages occurred. He also said the women were kept in the basement for some time without having access to the rest of the house.
"We know that the victims have confirmed miscarriages, but with who, how many and what conditions we don't know," Cummins said. He added: "It sounds pretty gruesome."
And today we celebrate...