Grand Jury indicts Ariel Castro on 329 counts
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Cuyahoga County Jail(CLEVELAND) – The Cleveland man accused of kidnapping three women and holding them for over a decade was indicted on 329 counts by a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury on Friday.
Ariel Castro was indicted for one act of aggravated murder for the unlawful termination of another’s pregnancy. He was also indicted on 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of felonious assault and one count of possession of criminal tools.
The indictments only cover the period from August of 2002, when the first woman was allegedly kidnapped, to February of 2007.
“[Friday’s] indictments represent a first major step in the criminal justice process,’’ said County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty. “Our investigation continues, and we will present our findings to the grand jury.’’
Castro will be arraigned on the charges and assigned a trial judge next week.
The County Prosecutor’s Capital Review Committee will determine whether Castro is eligible for the death penalty once the indictment process is complete.
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