Cleveland Kidnapping Suspect Ariel Castro Allegedly Beat His Late Former Wife Almost to Death

Ariel Castro, suspect in Cleveland missing women case, had been accused of attacking his former wife

 

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(Gallery by Plain Dealer staff and wire reports)

 

 

By John Caniglia, The Plain DealerThe Plain Dealer
on May 07, 2013 at 2:35 PM, updated May 07, 2013 at 9:34 PM

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Decade of Captivity

·         Guide to latest and most important stories

·         Frequently asked questions

·         First story: 3 women free themselves

·         Audio: Amanda Berry's frantic 9-1-1 call after she broke free

·         Inside the house: First details of what the women endured

All Stories | All Photos | All Videos

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Before Ariel Castro was accused of holding three women captive for at least a decade, he was accused of attacking his former wife, Grimilda Figueroa.

Figueroa suffered two broken noses, broken ribs, a knocked-out tooth, a blood clot on the brain and two dislocated shoulders, according to a 2005 filing in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court. Her attorney requested that a judge "keep [Castro] from threatening to kill [Figueroa].''

Attorney Robert Ferreri said Figueroa "has full custody with no visitation for [Castro]. Nevertheless, [Castro] frequently abducts daughters and keeps them from mother.''

A day after his arrest on charges of the years-long kidnappings of Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Amanda Berry, a portrait of Castro is emerging from court documents as a man who struggled to control his temper. Castro, 52, and his brothers Onil, 50, and Pedro, 54, are expected to be charged. The women were found at Ariel Castro's home on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland on Monday night.

 

Ariel Castro/Cleveland police

 

The women appeared to be in good health and were taken to a hospital to be evaluated and reunited with relatives. They were released from MetroHealth Medical Center this morning.

Berry placed a 9-1-1 call to police Monday evening, setting off a series of remarkable events. In the call, she urged a dispatcher to send officers quickly, because Castro was out.

Ferreri could not be reached today. Grimilda Figueroa died last year.

Castro also was involved in a neighborhood dispute with a neighbor that turned heated and went to court.

In 1996, Castro is accused of pulling a fence post from a neighbor's property. Later, the neighbor's 6-year-old daughter stepped in the hole and fell, hurting herself. Court documents listed a great deal of hostility among the neighbors, and Castro admitted in court documents that he spoke with Cleveland police "on a number of occasions'' about the neighbor.

An arbitration panel ordered Castro to pay $241 in damages.