DOCS: Man Accused of Stabbing Wanted to Kill Everyone Inside Home

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Scripps News West Michigan) — Courts imposed $2 million cash-only bail on Ricardo Castillo Monday afternoon as disturbing details were revealed about the attack.

A decision that sends a clear message. “This is as serious as it gets — this case is as frightening as it gets,” Kent County Judge Sarah Smolenski said during court proceedings Monday. “It’s as horrible as it sounds, and it puts us all in a fear zone like no other.”

Castillo is the suspect in the Saturday morning murder of an 11-year-old girl.

Kent County Undersheriff Bryan Muir called him a “monster” Saturday.

“My job is as a Marine Corps recruiter for the Marines,” Castillo told Judge Smolenski on Monday.

Investigators note that Castillo told them he broke into the home with the intention of killing everyone inside. Detectives say surveillance cameras captured Castillo entering the home and removing his shoes, socks and pants before grabbing a knife from the kitchen.

The sheriff's office told the court he went upstairs, hoping to attack people in their rooms. The first doors he found locked. The first unlocked door he found led to the master bedroom where the husband and wife were sleeping.

Castillo told police he decided to quietly close the door and look for an easier target.

Eventually, he found a room where the 11-year-old girl was resting – part of a sleepover at home.

Castillo told investigators he planned to sexually assault the girl's body after killing her, removing her underwear before attacking.

“That's the most important thing, and it's usually a little harder to prove, is that intent,” says Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker.

The girl's screams caused Castillo to stop stabbing and wake up some of the other people in the house.

Minutes later, a 911 caller to the home told dispatchers that a man covered in blood had broken in around 3 a.m. and was being held at gunpoint.

Deputies found Castillo still in the bedroom with a bloody knife next to him.

The 11-year-old is expected to survive her injuries following shoulder surgery.

Investigators say there is no connection between Castillo and the homeowners or the girl who was stabbed, adding to the shock of the situation.

“I think that's usually what people default to: It's something that always happens,” Becker says. “[But] It’s pretty rare when you see it. And it's a horrible situation every time it happens.

Castillo faces life in prison for assault with intent to kill, as well as other charges including first-degree home invasion, assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct and carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, as well as a charge of unlawful entry for a separate incident in Rockford hours earlier.

Castillo's next court date is scheduled for June 26, followed by a preliminary hearing on July 3.

This story was originally published by Scripps News West Michigan, an EW Scripps company.