Castro Brothers Knew Nothing, Express Sympathy for Victims

Onil Castro, left, appears at his arraignment for drug abuse and open container charges from 2001 with his brother Pedro Castro on May 9, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio.

By    |   Monday, 13 May 2013 09:44 AM EDT ET

Onil and Pedro Castro, the brothers of Ariel Castro who is accused of holding three women captive for about a decade, disowned their brother in a recent interview with CNN.

Onil Castro, 50, referred to his older brother Ariel, 52, as a "monster," telling CNN that he hopes his brother "rots in jail" for what he did.

Both brothers expressed their sympathy for the victims, Amanda Berry, 26, Gina DeJesus, 23 and Michelle Knight, 32, as well as their families.

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"I'm just grateful they are home and out of that horrible house, and I'd just tell them I'm sorry for what Ariel done," Pedro Castro, 50, told CNN.

The brothers were initially taken into custody but released after investigators said there was no evidence against them, The Associated Press reported.

Brother Ariel Castro has been charged with rape and kidnapping and is being held on $8 million bond.
Pedro Castro says he was shocked to learn DeJesus was a victim, because they'd known her father for a long time, and Ariel even went to a vigil for her when she went missing.

"You go around like it was nothing? You even went to the vigil. You had posters. You give his momma a hug and you got his daughter captive?" Pedro recalled saying to Ariel.

Pedro Castro said he had been in the house but never noticed anything amiss. He said part of house was blocked off by curtains, and a radio or TV was always on.

Onil Castro, 50, said he wanted Ariel to "suffer in that jail to the last extent."

"I don't care if they even feed him," Onil Castro said. "The monster's a goner."

The brothers said they are worried that people will continue to associate them then with their brother's alleged crimes, even though police say they didn't know anything about it. They have received death threats since being released from custody.

"This has torn my heart apart," Onil Castro said. "This has killed me. I'm a walking corpse right now."
"I hope the world listens to us," Pedro Castro said. "You already got your monster, please give us our freedom."

The three women allegedly imprisoned and sexually abused for years inside a padlocked Cleveland house asked for privacy Sunday, saying through an attorney that while they are grateful for overwhelming support, they also need time to heal.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight remain in seclusion, releasing their first statements since they were found May 6 when Berry escaped and told a 911 dispatcher, "I'm free now."
They thanked law enforcement and said they were grateful for the support of family and the community.

"I am so happy to be home, and I want to thank everybody for all your prayers," DeJesus said in a statement read by an attorney. "I just want time now to be with my family."
The women, now in their 20s and 30s, vanished separately between 2002 and 2004. At the time, they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.

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Investigators say they spent the last nine years or more inside the home of Ariel Castro where they were repeatedly raped and only allowed outside a handful of times. Castro, 52, is being held on $8 million bond. The former school bus driver was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape.

Aggravated murder charges might be sought prosecutors said last week. If convicted, Ariel could face the death penalty. After having allegedly impregnated one of his captives at least five times, Ariel Castro reportedly starved and repeatedly struck the women in her stomach to force her to miscarry.

Related stories:

Ariel Castro's Daughter: He Is Dead to Me

Cleveland Suicide Note: Ariel Castro Said 'I Am a Sexual Predator'

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Onil and Pedro Castro, the brothers of Ariel Castro who is accused of holding three women captive for about a decade, disowned their brother in a recent interview with CNN.
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