Suspect no longer on suicide watch

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The Ohio man jailed on charges he held three women captive and raped them over a decade in his Cleveland house no longer is seen as a suicide risk, jail officials said Wednesday.

Ariel Castro, 52, has been taken off “suicide-prevention” watch, Cuyahoga County jail spokesman John O’Brien said.

O’Brien declined to specify the reason for the status change, but jail logs show Castro’s first month behind bars has been uneventful. The most recent logs through Tuesday show Castro watches a lot of television, sleeps a lot and has met with his defense attorneys in recent days.

When he asked to take a shower, he got permission, and his cell was checked for contraband. None was found.

Castro has been locked up since his arrest May 6, shortly after the three women emerged from his house and said they had been held captive. He is being held on $8 million bond.

Castro’s lawyers said he will plead not guilty to rape and kidnapping charges involving the three women and to a kidnapping charge involving a 6-year-old girl he fathered by one of the women.

The case is now before a county grand jury.

The logs reflect checks every 15 minutes round the clock, typically describing briefly what Castro is doing at the time.

Each shift makes note of the requirement to notify a supervisor of any movements involving Castro, such as a shower or attorney visits. Castro refusing a shower was noted at one point.

Castro has told guards he won’t accept news media interview requests.