Ariel Castro to be sentenced to life in prison August 1 for kidnapping raping and holding Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight captive in his Cleveland, Ohio home for more than nine years

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Serial rapist and kidnapper Ariel Castro, 52, who held Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight captive at his west side home on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland, Oh. for more than nine years. will be sentenced to life in prison plus one thousand years without the possibility of parole on August 1. He is expected to speak as is one of his victims, all three of whom were fed only one meal a day and allowed two to three showers a week, court documents reveal. 

Kidnapper and Serial  Rapist Ariel Castro

DeJesus was 14 when Castro kidnapped her, Berry's was nearly 17 and Knight, who is disabled, was 21. All three were lured into his van and DeJesus was a friend of Castro's daughter, who has disowned him. Her mother died during the captivity period and was allegedly a victim of his domestic violence.

Berry has a daughter by Castro, who has asked to see her as part of his life-in-prison plea deal. 

DeJesus was held captive for nine years, Berry 10 and Knight 11 years. 

A next door neighbor, Charles Ramsey, who is Black and now dubbed a hero,  said he heard women screaming at the home. He then broke in the house with another man and freed at least Berry who went with him to his home and called 911. 

"'I heard this girl screaming and she's going nuts," Ramsey told reporters." I came to the front door and looked at her and she said my name is Amanda Berry, please get me out of the house. And she said that there were two more."