Mayfield Council Honors Once-Captive Women of Cleveland

The rescues of three women held captive in a Cleveland house since the early 2000s weighed so heavily on Mayfield Heights officials' minds that they deemed a resolution necessary.

City Council voted to add a resolution to the agenda acknowledging the return of Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Amanda Berry to their homes after they were found in a Seymour Avenue home owned by 52-year old Ariel Castro.

Monday night was the first time Mayfield Heights City Council has gathered since the story about the women broke and became a national story. The resolution is "an expression of relief and joy" over their discovery.

"With Mother's Day, everybody was thinking about those girls," Mayor Anthony DiCicco said of city council. "It really hit hard for a lot of women and a lot of parents.

"We just wanted to give our support and let them know that it's just a very good story. To let them know that everybody's thinking about them."

Castro's neighbors Charles Ramsey and Angel Cordero broke down the door of Castro's home and freed Berry on May 6, according to our partners at WEWS. Knight and DeJesus were later found in the home, and Castro was charged with kidnapping and three counts of rape.

Castro is being held at Cuyahoga County Jail on an $8 million bond.