Ariel Castro Charged With Kidnapping & Rape, Wrote Suicide Note

Ariel Castro, who was arrested on Monday in connection with the Ohio missing girls case, was officially charged on Wednesday with kidnapping and rape. A suicide note has allegedly been found at his home that explains his crimes. Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus and Michelle Knight had all been missing for nearly 10 years.

Castro, 52, is being charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape, according to Cleveland’s chief assistant prosecutor. The kidnapping includes the three women and a daughter who was born to Berry while she was in captivity. The paternity of the child has yet to be revealed.

Although Castro’s brothers, Pedro Castro, 54, and Onil Castro, 50, were also arrested on Monday, neither were charged. “[There’s] no evidence that these two had any involvement in the commission of these crimes,” said Assistant Prosecutor Victor Cruz.

Castro, who waived his Miranda rights, is said to have written a suicide note in 2004 that provides insight into his alleged crimes, according to CBS News. “I am a sexual predator,” Ariel Castro allegedly wrote in the letter. “I need help.” He went on to write, “They are here against their will because they made a mistake of getting in a car with a total stranger,” according to 19 Action News reporter Scott Taylor.

Castro allegedly kept the women bound in three separate rooms during their captivity. Berry, who had been trapped at Castro’s house for ten years, successfully escaped the Cleveland home on Monday with her six-year-old daughter and subsequently led police to rescue the two other victims.