Ellington

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland's mayor says the prison suicide of the man who held three women captive for a decade doesn't change the city's focus on the victims' recovery and well-being.

Mayor Frank Jackson issued a statement Wednesday after the death of Ariel Castro and urged his community to continue respecting the women's privacy.

Officials say the 53-year-old Castro hanged himself in his cell Tuesday.

A prisons spokeswoman says Castro was in protective custody because of the notoriety of his case, meaning he was checked every 30 minutes. But he was not on suicide watch.

Castro was sentenced Aug. 1 to life in prison after reaching a deal to avoid a possible death penalty.