Cleveland Kidnapping Victim Michelle Knight Watches Castro’s ‘House of Horrors’ Demolition (Video)
Ariel Castro's house in Cleveland now dubbed as the 'House of Horrors' was demolished at 7:30am, August 7, 2013. It was the Aunt of Cleveland Kidnapping Victim Gina de Jesus who started the demolition by operating the excavator with assistance and making the first blow to the house.
By 10am, the 'House of Horrors' was eradicated from the neighbourhood.
As the 'House of Horrors' crumbles, Cleveland Kidnapping victim Michelle Knight watched in peace.
"I want the people out there to know - including the mothers - that they can have strength, they can have hope, and their child will come back," Ms Knight said to the reporters who were there to witness the demolition.
According to a report from CNN, Knight gave out balloons to people before the demolition. Then, they released the balloons as the house 'vanished'.
"I go from here as being a motivational speaker and let everybody know that they are heard, that they are loved, and that there is hope for everyone," Ms Knight said passionately.
The day of the demolition was not the first time that Ms Knight came back to see the house. On Friday, August 2, she just stood outside the house and reflected on it.
A neighbour, Altagracia Tejeda, saw her. After about some minutes of reflecting outside the house, Ms Knight went around the neighbourhood, thanking particularly Ms Tejeda for helping them during their historical escape.
During the trial of Mr Castro, it was revealed that he renovated the whole of the house to hide his evil deeds. According to FBI agent Andrew Burke, Mr Castro had installed an alarm in the house, put bedspreads and curtains to windows and parts of the house and there was porch swing in front of the stairs leading to the rooms where Ms Knight, Ms de Jesus and Amanda Berry was held captive for years.
In a report from NBN News, neighbours of Mr Castro had also found peace as the house was now demolished.
Even Mr Castro's uncle, Julio Castro, was relieved to see the house go. He said that the demolition was "definitely the right thing to do".
As the demolition was happening, bells at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church rang its bells.
"It has been a shock to the neighbourhood. I've been here 57 years, but we never got so much publicity. It was a quiet block," local Pastor Horst Hoyer said.