Alleged Cleveland Kidnapper Has Local Roots


Ariel Castro, the Cleveland man charged with kidnapping and raping three women over the course of the last decade, reportedly grew up in Reading, PA. He moved there with his family from Puerto Rico, the Reading Eagle reports, later moving to Cleveland.

[Ariel’s uncle] Julio Castro wasn’t sure what years his nephews lived in Reading with their mother, Lillian, but said he visited them once here when they were between 5 and 10 years old.

Julio, who lives in Cleveland, said he “helped search for the [kidnapped women] years ago when they went missing as girls” and “was stunned to learn that one of his nephews was the suspect.” [Reading Eagle]