Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight Update: Bond set at $8 million for Ariel Castro, accused Cleveland kidnapper
(CBS) -- A Cleveland judge set bail at $8 million Thursday morning for Ariel Castro, 52, charged Wednesday with kidnapping and rape in connection to the abductions of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
PICTURES: Ohio women missing for nearly a decade found alive
The young women, all missing for about a decade, were allegedly held captive by Castro at his Cleveland home. The women escaped Monday after Berry kicked out the bottom portion of a screen door and called 911.
"They suffered repeated beatings, were bound and restrained and sexually assaulted, and basically never free to leave the residence," said Brian Murphy, a Cuyahoga County prosecutor, at Castro's Thursday morning arraignment.
Castro is charged with kidnapping and raping Berry, 27, Knight, 32, and DeJesus, 23, and with kidnapping Berry's daughter, 6, who Murphy said was believed to have been born while she was in captivity.
Knight told investigators Castro forced her to deliver the baby and threatened to kill her if the baby died, according to police documents obtained by CBS News. Knight told police that Castro impregnated her "at least five times," but would starve her and punch her in the stomach to induce a miscarriage, according to the documents.
The charges against Castro are "based on his premeditated decision to snatch three young women from Cleveland's south side streets," Murphy said.
"Today, the situation has turned, Your Honor," Murphy told a judge. "Mr. Castro stands before you a captive."
Appearing handcuffed in court, Castro kept his eyes cast downward for most of the hearing, and showed no reaction.
The $8 million bond was $3 million higher than the bond Murphy requested. The judge ordered the bond be set at $2 million for each of the cases.
A public defender said Castro had no previous felony convictions or serious misdemeanors and had lived in the area for 39 years.
Castro's wife Grimilda Figueroa filed a request for a domestic violence protective order against Castro in 2005, according to court documents, alleging that he broke her nose, knocked out her tooth, dislocated her shoulder and threatened to kill her and their children.
The protective order was dismissed after Figueroa's attorney couldn't attend a court hearing, according to the documents.
Complete coverage of the Cleveland kidnappings on Crimesider
