The last building code violations for Castro dated to 2000 and appeared to still be active. Those were for debris in his yard, weak or missing porch railings and exterior maintenance issues.

Since 2002, when Michelle Knight disappeared, Cleveland police came to Castro's section of the street between West 25th Street and Scranton Avenue to take crime reports nearly 160 times — a little more than once month — for fewer than 20 homes.

Dunn said the covered and boarded windows of Castro's occupied home should have raised concerns. It should have been noted and followed up on by building inspectors, especially since the home was occupied, he said.

"That should be a clear indication that something was amiss," he said.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/police_frequented_ariel...

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