CLEVELAND (AP) – A Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for more than a decade has pleaded not guilty to 512 counts of kidnapping and 446 counts of rape.
Ariel Castro previously pleaded not guilty to charges contained in a 329-count indictment.
Castro, 53, entered a plea Wednesday on an expanded, 977-count indictment. The judge continued his bond at $8 million.
She repeatedly told Castro to raise his head and keep his eyes open during the brief court appearance.
The earlier indictment reflected only part of the alleged crimes’ time frame. It contains aggravated murder charges alleging that Castro purposely caused the unlawful termination of the pregnancy of one of the women.
He has been jailed since his May 6 arrest.
Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus and Michelle Knight disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.
Each said they had accepted a ride from Castro, who remained friends with Dejesus’ family and even attended vigils over the years marking her disappearance.
Berry has a six-year-old daughter fathered by Castro, authorities said.