A neighbor of infamous Cleveland kidnapper and rapist Ariel Castro was charged with the rape and murder of two women in the 1990s, Fox News reported.
Elias Acevedo, Jr., 49, was arrested in June and charged on Thursday with the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 30-year-old Pamela Pemberton and another woman's remains, believed to be Christina Adkins, a pregnant 18-year-old who disappeared in 1995.
Acevedo's and Castro's cases are not believed to be related.
Authorities began investigating Castro's neighborhood following his arrest earlier this year. During their renewed investigation into missing persons cases, they discovered Acevedo was a registered sex offender who had not listed his address, which was down the street from Castro's.
Acevedo claimed responsibility for the murders while being held in custody, according to Joe Frolik, spokesman for the Cuyahoga County's prosecutor's office. Two weeks ago, he led officials to a site where he allegedly buried Adkin's body.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office is in the process of examing the remains, but they are believed to belong to the missing woman as one of her identification card's was found nearby.
Adkin's mother released a statement following the news.
"I know that at least now I have closure and she can get the burial she deserves," the statement said. "I want to express my thanks to the FBI and everyone else involved."
His arraignment is set for Monday at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas and faces 115 kidnapping charges and more than 173 rape charges that include alleged incidents with Adkins, Pemberton, and two other girls aged 8 and 11 at the time.
His bail was set at $5 million.
On Sept. 3, Castro was found dead in his prison cell after being sentenced to life for the kidnap and rape of three women for over a decade. His death was originally ruled a suicide, but authorities discovered he may have died from auto-erotic asphyxiation.
