A federal magistrate judge ruled Thursday that a man accused of abducting and trying to kill his ex-wife would remain in custody without bail pending further proceedings.
Prosecutor Mario Gonzales said he intends to seek an indictment next week on federal kidnapping charges against David Larsen, 39. Magistrate Judge Aaron Goodstein set Feb. 13 for a possible arraignment and plea.
Because Larsen also faces attempted homicide and other charges in state court, where bail has been set at $1 million, he would likely remain behind bars even if released from federal custody, Strang said.
“There are a lot of good things that can be said about David Larsen” in favor of setting a bond, but it would be pointless because of the high bond set in Racine County, Strang said.
Goodstein said the seriousness of the allegations against Larsen allowed him to be held, and “the nature of the charge indicates there’s a risk at least to one person in the community.”
Prosecutors say Larsen’s former wife, Teri Sue Jendusa-Nicolai, 38, was attacked with a baseball bat Saturday after going to Larsen’s Wind Lake home to pick up her two daughters after a visit with their father.
The girls were recovered Saturday evening from a baby-sitter’s home near Chicago after Larsen was arrested as he showed up at his job as an air traffic controller in Wheeling.
Jendusa-Nicolai was found just before 1 p.m. Sunday in a locked, unheated storage unit Larsen rented in Wheeling.
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Compiled from RedEye news services.
