Ariel Castro Has to Pay $22K to Raze House

The house where Ariel Castro kept his kidnap victims hostage for a decade is getting torn down tomorrow, and Castro himself has to foot the bill, reports NBC News. As part of his plea deal to avoid the death penalty, Castro must pay the bank $22,000 to cover the costs. The lights got shut off yesterday, and members of Castro's family retrieved some personal belongings before the demolition.

It's still not clear what will replace the house, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We’re trying to be very thoughtful as to what goes in there,” says the local city councilman. It's possible that two vacant houses next to it will eventually come down, too. The newspaper adds this detail: Amanda Berry asked police to retrieve drawings left behind by the 6-year-old daughter she had in captivity. Says an officer: "Amanda wanted the pictures from the little girl." (More Ariel Castro stories.)