Cleveland Kidnapping Suspect Ariel Castro Ruled Competent to Stand Trial

Accused of enslaving three women in his home for a decade

Ariel Castro, charged with holding three Cleveland women captive for more than a decade, is mentally competent to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Court-appointed psychiatrists, who evaluated Castro for two hours, found Castro competent and capable of assisting his attorneys with his defense, Cuyahoga County Judge Michael Russo said Wednesday. Castro answered "yes" when the judge asked him whether he understood the purpose of the evaluation and the court proceedings.