KIDNAPPING OF THREE WOMEN IN CLEVELAND

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XRzsNbskT (Click on the link to watch the video)

Three women who disappeared more than a decade ago have been found alive after they were rescued from a makeshift dungeon in a suburban American home.

Amanda Berry, 26, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, spent years chained up in a blacked-out room. They escaped when a neighbour helped break down the door after hearing Miss Berry scream for help when their captor left the house.

The women were aged 14, 16 and 21 when they were kidnapped separately in Cleveland, Ohio. Three brothers were arrested last night as the escape sparked celebrations in the city where the victims had been presumed dead.

Miss Berry, who was 16 when she went missing in April 2003, held an emotional reunion with her older sister Beth Serrano.

Miss Berry introduced her sister to her daughter, who was born during the 10-year ordeal and is now thought to be aged about six. Beth's husband Ted Serrano said his wife was overjoyed about her sister's return: "She said [Amanda]'s okay, she's got a daughter. She said she's okay, she looks good."

In an emergency call to police after fleeing the house, Amanda said: "Help me, I'm Amanda Berry … I need police … I've been kidnapped, I've been missing for 10 years. I'm here, I'm free now."

She added: "I need them [the police] now, before he gets back . ..  I'm Amanda Berry. I've been in the news for the past 10 years."

During the call, she gave the name of her alleged abductor, said he was "out of the house" and repeatedly urged police to come quickly.

The disappearances of Miss Berry and Miss DeJesus captured the attention of the city for the past decade and their relatives have held vigils to keep the story alive in the local press.

Miss Berry had not been seen or heard from since calling her sister to say she was on her way home from her job at Burger King.

Miss DeJesus was 14 when she disappeared on her way home from school about a year later. Miss Knight, went missing in 2002 when she was 21. As well as Miss Berry's daughter, a younger child was also found in the house.

Miss Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, died six years ago. Friends said the search for her daughter had taken a toll on her health and that she died of "a broken heart".

Miss Berry's aunt Gale Mitchell said: "I can't wait to talk to her, I can't wait to hold her, to see her." She added: "You never give up. You just pray and pray and pray."

Castro is accused of kidnapping Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight and holding them captive along with a six-year-old girl he fathered with Ms Berry. He also was indicted on charges including 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping and multiple counts of gross sexual imposition and felonious assault.

Castro's lawyers have said he would plead not guilty to any indictment.

When he was in the prison, he hanged and he died.

Vocabulary
Rescue: bring someone out of danger (rescatar)
Makeshift: a usually crude and temporary expedient (improvisado)
Dungeon: A close prison cell (calabozo)
Spend: To pass time (gastar el tiempo)
Chain up: a series of related or connected facts, events (encadenar)
To kidnap: to take away (someone) by force usually in order to keep the person as a prisoner and demand money for returning the person (secuestrar)
Presume: To take (something) for granted (suponer)
Miss: Not able to be trace and not know to be dead (desaparecer)
To overjoy: Excessively happy
To flee: run or move quickly; rush; speed
Abductor: To remove (a person) by force (secuestro)
To keep alive: to continue or cause to continue (mantener)
Toll: Loss or damage incurred through an accident, disaster, kidnapper... (pérdida)
Hold: To have or keep with or within the hands, arms, etc. (agarrar)
Give up: To renounce (rendirse)
Pray: To implore (pregar, rogar)
Captive: A person or animal that is confined or restrained (prisionero)
Charge: An accusation (cargo)
Assault: A violent attack, either physical or verbal (asalto)
Lawyer: Amember of the legal profession (abogado)

SUMMARYThree women, who were kidnapped in Cleveland for ten years in a suburban home, now are free. Amanda Berry, now 26, Gina de Jesus, now 23, and Michelle Knight, now 33, tried to escape from their captor when he left the house. Berry screamed for help and she was heard by a neighbour who tried to help them. Berry had a baby with the kidnapper. Ten years later they escaped and the kidnapper was accused of kidnapping 3 women, indicted on charges 139 counts of rape and multiple counts of gross sexual imposition and felonius assault. When he was sentenced to be in the prison, he committed suicide hanging himself.

Posted by: Laura Peñalver and Veronica de Vera      2nd batx. C