Ohio kidnapping victim Amanda Berry is being hailed by police for her brave escape and her former science teacher isn’t surprised.
“It’s not surprising at all that she would be the one who would kick down the door and lead the other ones, ” said science teacher Joe Kapostasy on Jansing & Co Wednesday. “She’s that kind of a girl. She would know what to do when the time came.”
Kapostasy is Chris Jansing’s brother and a 35-year veteran of the Cleveland school system.
Berry was able to escape from captivity after she caught the attention of a neighbor by screaming and banging on the door to the home. Neighbor Charles Ramsey helped rescue Berry and two other women, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, before calling police.
52-year-old Ariel Castro and his two brothers Pedro and Onil are expected to be questioned and formally charged Wednesday.
Berry was just 16 when she disappeared on April 21, 2003, the day before her 17th birthday. She called her sister to tell her she was getting a ride home from her job at Burger King but never made it.
Knight was taken in August 2002 and Gina DeJesus was kidnapped in April of 2004. All three girls were allegedly held captive just three miles away from where they were last seen.
Cleveland’s police chief confirmed Wednesday that the victims were physically bound by chains and ropes found at the home where they were held. Police sources say that the victims have told them of multiple pregnancies, forcible rapes, miscarriages and details of the conditions in which they were kept.
A 6-year-old girl was also found at the house. Police believe Amanda Berry gave birth to a daughter while in captivity.
Kapostasy said even in his science class where the ratio of boys to girls was 5 to 1, Amanda knew how to handle herself.
“She was a tough little girl,” Kapostasy said to Chris Jansing, “A little rough around the edges but she was a survivor.”
Essa Yip