Ohio native Ariel Castro pleaded not guilty Wednesday in his arraignment on charges that he kidnapped Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight and raped them while holding them captive in his home for nearly a decade.

A judge handed a 329-count indictment on June 7 that included charges on two counts of aggravated murder for "purposely and with prior calculation and design causing the unlawful termination of another's pregnancy," County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said last week.

The charges against Castro, 52, also include 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of felonious assault and one count of possession of criminal tools.

He could potentially face the death penalty for the charge that he performed the aggravated murder of a fetus for allegedly forcing one of his victims to have an abortion, whom he is accused of impregnating.

Castro's lawyer, Craig Weintraub, told a news conference after the court hearing that he hoped the two sides could work "towards a resolution to avoid a trial" and to avoid the death penalty for Castro. He also urged prosecutors to drop the aggravated murder charge.

Berry, 27, DeJesus, 23, and Knight, 32, were rescued on May 6 after Berry managed to escape Castro's home and, with help from neighbors, call police to say she and the other victims were alive and being held in captivity. Berry gave birth to Castro's child while in captivity; she had a daughter who is now 6.

She said in her 911 call on the day of her rescue: "Help me. I'm Amanda Berry. I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years, and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now."

Knight told investigators she became pregnant five times by Castro but that he punched her in the belly until she miscarried, according to ABC News.

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Amanda Berry, Ariel castro