Revealed: Kidnap suspect's daughter jailed for 25 years for attempted murder of her 11-month-old baby



Ariel Castro, 52, a former school bus driver, has been named as the prime suspect in abduction of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight

Two of Castro's brothers also arrested in the case

Castro's son wrote a piece on Miss DeJesus' disappearance back in 2004



His daughter Emily was jailed in 2008 after she tried to slit her baby's throat after she broke up with her boyfriend

Had a long history of mental illness



The daughter of the prime suspect in the kidnapping case of three Cleveland women was jailed for 25 years in 2008 for the attempted murder of her 11-month-old baby, it was revealed today.



Emily Castro, 24, tried to slash her daughter Janyla's throat in April 2007 after she broke up with the child's father.

Court documents state that police were called to Emily's home in Fort Wayne, Indiana - where she moved after she became pregnant - when a passerby saw a woman running out to the street with a bleeding baby in her arms.

The woman was Emily's mother, Grimilda Figeroa, who told police that her daughter stabbed her own child.

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Court: Emily Castro, then 19, is pictured going to her initial hearing charged with attempted murder and felony battery for cutting her 10-month-old daughter's neck several times in 2008

Jailed: Emily Castro, 24, tried to slash her daughter Janyla's throat in April 2007 after she broke up with the child's father Safe and well: The mother of Janyla, pictured center with her uncle Anthony, Emily Castro was sent to prison in 2008 for trying to slash her own daughter's throat

Alleged abductor: Ariel Castro's daughter Emily was jailed for 25 years in 2008 for trying to murder her daughter. Her sister Angie is pictured here with their father

Ariel Castro, 52 Pedro Castro, 54 Onil Castro, 50 When officers went to the home, they found Emily Castro covered in mud, water and blood.

She was bleeding from self-inflicted knife wounds to her neck and wrists and told police she tried to kill herself with the same knife she used to attack her baby. She then tried to drown herself in a nearby creek. At the time, she had a long history of mental illness though was found competent to stand trial as it did not meet the legal definition of insanity.

During the trial, her defense attorneys produced evidence that Castro suffered from serious depression for years before the birth of her daughter, and that it spiraled into paranoia, causing her to think her family was trying to kill her and the baby at the time of the attack. The Journal Gazette reported at the time of the trial that Emily told the judge she was a good mom and that she did not know how it could have happened. Her brother, Ariel 'Anthony' Castro read out a statement in court in defense of his sister and her mental illness. He said: 'What happened to Janyla was serious, unthinkable and irreversible. What happened to my sister is no less serious.

'Emily's mental illness was something the family saw every day, and it was regrettable it failed to meet the legal definition of insanity.'

She was not an 'animal who tried to kill her daughter out of revenge', he said, describing his sister as a proud mother who put together scrapbooks in anticipation of Janyla’s first birthday. The child made a full recovery and was put in the custody of her father Deangelo Gonzalez.

Ariel 'Anthony' Castro read out a statement in court in defense of his sister and her mental illness, saying: 'What happened to Janyla was serious, unthinkable and irreversible. What happened to my sister is no less serious' Family: Anthony Castro with his late mother Grimilda Figeroa - who was in the Indiana home with Emily Castro when she tried to murder her daughter Emily and Anthony's father Ariel Castro, 52, was arrested on Monday after one of his alleged victims escaped his home and called police. Neighbors in the street were shocked to hear that Castro, who was a school bus driver in the Cleveland area until last year, could be capable of abducting three innocent teenagers from the street and tying them up with chains in his basement.

Castro's Facebook page depicts a man with a passion for motorcycles and the bass guitar. His last post to the social networking site on May 2 says: 'Miracles really do happen, God is good :)' The man who came to Amanda Berry's rescue, Charles Ramsey, expressed disbelief that his neighbor could be capable of such a disturbed and shocking crime. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next 'The real hero is Amanda': Cleveland police praise... Pictured: Suspect accused of taking three teens arrested ... 'She died of broken heart': Mother who relentlessly searched... 'I'm here, I'm free now': Listen to the dramatic 911 call... Share this article Share He told NewsNet5: 'I've been here a year. I barbeque with this dude, we eat ribs and what not and listen to salsa music. Not a clue that that girl was in that house or that anyone else was in there with.

'He just comes out to his backyard, plays with the dogs, tinkering with his cars and motorcycles and goes back in the house.

'He's somebody you look and then you look away because he's just doing normal stuff. You got some big testicles to pull this one off because we see this guy every day.'

Sources close to local station WOIO said the women were reportedly tied up during their captivity and police found chains hanging from one of the ceilings

They also reported there were signs that dirt had recently been moved in the backyard of the house, though police continue to investigate whether or not the dirt will lead to any new evidence in the case.

Happy reunion: Amanda Berry (center) was all smiles at the Cleveland Hospital alongside her emotional sister (left) and a young girl that is believed to be the one who fled Ariel Castro's house with Berry

Found: Amanda Berry (left) and Gina DeJesus (right) were found alive in Cleveland on Monday following a decade-long search

Castro has lived in the house since 1992. His two brothers - Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50 - do not live at the home but were arrested in connection with the three abductions.



Records show that Castro was arrested for domestic violence and disorderly conduct in December, 1993, though details of this are not yet available.



He was also stopped six times by Cleveland Police between 1995 and 2008 for traffic violations.

In a press conference today, it was revealed that police were called to the house in January 2004, after Castro left a child on his bus at the depot. They were not able to get anyone at the home and police did not follow up on it.



After an investigation, no criminal intent was found.



There are no other records of any violations or complaints in relation to the address.



He was a school bus driver in the area until November 2012, when he was let go after doing an illegal U-turn with children on the bus, according to the Cleveland Leader.

Prison: Castro has lived in the house since 1992. His two brothers - aged 50 and 54 - do not live there but have been arrested in connection with the girls' disappearance

Investigation: FBI agents remove evidence from the house where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately ten years ago, were found alive on Monday

Jannette Gomez, 50, who often visits family and friends on the street, said Castro would park his motorcycle and red pickup truck behind the house, lock the gate and enter the house through a back door.



Occasionally, he would turn on a dim porch light, but the house was always dark, she told The Plain Dealer. Shades blocked the windows, and at least one window was boarded up.



Gomez said he never had much to say, she said. He would say 'Hi' back, but there was never much conversation.



The county prosecutor joined dozens of police officers and sheriff's deputies at the scene as they began searching the house late on Monday.

Authorities say the women have been taken to a hospital to reunite with relatives and seem to be in good health.

Michelle Knight had been missing since 2002, Amanda Berry since 2003 and Gina DeJesus since 2004.

Remarkably, Castro's son - also named Ariel who now goes by 'Anthony' - penned an article for the Cleveland Plain Press about the disappearance of Miss DeJesus back in 2004 when he was a journalism student.

He even interviewed her mother for the piece, not knowing that the teen was tied up in a basement owned by his father.

He started the story with: 'Neighborhood residents have been taken by an overwhelming need for caution. Parents are more strictly enforcing curfews, encouraging their children to walk in groups, or driving them to and from school when they had previously walked alone.

'One thing is for certain, however. Almost everyone feels a connection with the family, and Gina’s disappearance has the whole area talking.'

Mother Nancy Ruiz told him at the time: 'You can tell the difference. People are watching out for each other’s kids.



'It’s a shame that a tragedy had to happen for me to really know my neighbors. Bless their hearts, they’ve been great.'



Anthony Castro told WKYC-TV reporter Sara Shookman yesterday: 'This is beyond comprehension … I’m truly stunned right now.'

Neighbor Juan Perez told News Channel 5 about Castro: 'He was a nice guy, he would come around and say hi. He gave the kids rides up and down the street on his four-wheeler'

Shocked: Neighbors were stunned to hear that Castro had three women locked in his basement as they thought he was a friendly but quiet guy

Also struck by the allegations, the suspects' uncle, Julio Castro, told CNN: 'I never want to see them again. For me, it's bad on one side and good on the other side.'



Julio Castro said his nephew used to play bass in various bands that performed at a local club once owned by DeJesus' uncle.



'He was a fun guy. I mean, parents trusted him. He talked to the parents. He was just a regular guy on the street. He put on that great mask that everyone thought he was a good guy.' - Neighbor Juan Perez

He said he believes his nephew knew the family from the club and the neighborhood.



Another neighbor Juan Perez told News Channel 5 : 'He was a nice guy, he would come around and say hi. He gave the kids rides up and down the street on his four-wheeler.

'I’ve known him since I was like five or six years old myself, he would asked me if I wanted a ride. He seemed like he was a good guy to the kids that were here, I don't think he had any bad (attention).'

He also revealed that his sister once heard a scream come from the home and called police but nothing ever came of it. Looking back, he said, he should have seen the signs that something was not quite right.

'Now it's like, red-flag, red-flag, red-flag, somebody should've said something and my sister actually a few years ago heard a scream and she called police.

'He was a fun guy. I mean, parents trusted him. He talked to the parents. He was just a regular guy on the street. He put on that great mask that everyone thought he was a good guy.'



Police didn't immediately provide any details of how the women were found but said they appeared to be in good health and had been taken to a hospital to be reunited with relatives and to be evaluated.

They said a six-year-old also was found in the home.



On a recorded 911 call Monday, Amanda declared: 'I'm Amanda Berry. I've been on the news for the last 10 years.'

She said she had been taken by someone and begged for police officers to arrive at the home on Cleveland's west side before he returned.

House of horrors: Only Castro is believed to have lived in the house where the women were found

Other case: Gina DeJesus went missing in 2004 on her way home from school, and her parents think that part of the reason why her case was not given much attention was because no Amber Alert was issued since no one actually saw the abduction take place

Scene: The women were helped out of this home on Seymour Avenue that belongs to Ariel Castro

'I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years,' she told the dispatcher. 'And I'm here. I'm free now.'

Berry disappeared at age 16 on April 21, 2003, when she called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King.



DeJesus went missing at age 14 on her way home from school about a year later. They were found just a few miles from where they had disappeared.

