Yesterday we saw the amazing, sad but funny interview with Charles Ramsey, the Cleveland man who is being lauded as a hero for rescuing three kidnapped women and a child being held captive in his next door neighbor’s home. Ramsey described to a news crew how he kicked out the front door of the home belonging to his next door neighbor, Ariel Castro, after he heard a woman screaming and begging to get out. The woman came out with a young daughter and told him that she was trapped there, and that her name was Amanda Berry. It didn’t occur to Charles until he called 911 that Amanda Berry was the teenager who had gone missing a decade before. Amanda told Charles that there were other girls in the house (he didn’t say how many), and he was so shocked by the situation he didn’t think it was true. After cops went in “30, 40 deep” and found more women he called it “astonishing.” He said he’d known his neighbor for the year that he’d lived there, that he’d hung out and barbecued with him, and that he didn’t have a “clue” that anyone was being held hostage there.

The three women rescued are Amanda Berry, 27, who was abducted 10 years ago, Gina DeJesus, 23, who was abducted in 2004, and Michelle Knight, 32, who went missing in 2002. Berry’s six year old daughter was also rescued. The homeowner and alleged kidnapped Ariel Castro, 52, has been arrested along with two of his brothers.

Anderson Cooper did a follow-up interview with Ramsey (video above), and he explained in more detail how he rescued the women, what he saw at the house prior to this, and how he regrets not being able to save the women sooner. Ramsey opened the door with the help of another neighbor, Angel Cordoro, with whom Amanda went to separately to call 911. Ramsey is a colorful character and a true hero and he says that if there’s any reward money he wants it to go to the kidnapped women because he has a job:

On if he’s a hero
No, no, no. Bro, I’m a Christian, an American, and just like you. We bleed same blood, put our pants on the same way. It’s just that you got to put that – being a coward, and I don’t want to get in nobody’s business. You got to put that away for a minute.

On if he should get the reward money
I tell you what you do, give [the reward] to them. Because if folks been following this case since last night, you been following me since last night, you know I got a job anyway. Just went picked it up, paycheck. What that address say? […] 2203 Seymour. Where are them girls living? Right next door to this paycheck. So yes, take that reward and give it to—that little girl[.]

[CNN transcript via Gawker]

Thank goodness this guy stepped up. The thing that struck me about this interview is that you could tell that Ramsey feels bad that he wasn’t able to do something sooner. He said he saw two little girls playing in the backyard every day and that he assumed they were his neighbor’s grandchildren. What I want to know is, if there were two little girls where is the other little girl? I don’t want to think about it. Reports claim that the captive women suffered miscarriages due to extreme abuse and malnutrition, and that babies may have died as well. Cops and child protective services were called to Castro’s home by suspicious neighbors several times over the years, but authorities left when no one answered the door.

People Magazine put this rescue on their upcoming cover. They have quotes from neighbors and family of the kidnapper, who say they’re just as surprised as anyone to hear this. The Daily Mail has an interview with Castro’s son, who describes how secretive his father was and how parts of the home were locked off. There are plenty more details in this horrific story, which make me sick to my stomach to think about. For now we can focus on the fact that these women have been reunited with their families, thanks to a quick-thinking neighbor who was not afraid to step up.