DNA tests have confirmed that Ariel Castro, the suspect in the kidnapping and decade-long imprisonment of three women in Cleveland, is the father of a 6-year-old girl born to one of the women in captivity, the Ohio attorney general said Friday.
Amanda Berry is the mother of the 6-year-old, who was also rescued from the house, authorities have said. The little girl, named Jocelyn, was born Christmas Day in 2006, the mother told her family in a phone call on Tuesday, according to WEWS.
Castro, 52-- already charged with kidnapping and rape — could face new counts of aggravated murder for beating his victims until they suffered miscarriages, officials said.
An Ohio prosecutor said he may seek the death penalty against Castro. "Capital punishment must be reserved for those crimes that are truly the worst examples of human conduct," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said yesterday.
The baby was delivered in a kiddie pool by another captive, Michelle Knight, according to a Cleveland police report. Knight told investigators that Castro threatened to kill her if the baby died, the report said.
Knight also told investigators that Castro impregnated her at least five times, and starved her and punched her in the stomach to force her to miscarry, the police report said.
Knight remains in a Cleveland hospital. The hospital said Friday that she is in good spirits, is grateful for an outpouring of flowers and gifts and is asking for privacy.
Berry and another captive, Gina DeJesus, returned home to their families earlier this week.
Berry was last seen after finishing her shift at a Burger King in Cleveland on April 21, 2003. It was the eve of her 17th birthday. DeJesus disappeared nearly a year later, on April 2, 2004. She was 14.
Michelle Knight vanished on August 22, 2002, and her family reported her missing the next day, Flask said. She was 21.
