A mother accused of helping her two teenage daughters run away from their Lakeville home continues to be held on $1 million bail after a hearing Monday where her attorney urged a judge to set her free.
Sandra Grazzini-Rucki was arrested on Oct. 18 at a Florida resort and spa on three charges of felony deprivation of parental rights. Her daughters, Gianna and Samantha, were 13 and 14 when they ran away from their Lakeville home in April 2013.
Returned to Minnesota last week, Grazzini-Rucki, 50, had a bail hearing on Friday, after being extradited on Thursday, but her attorney, Michelle MacDonald, was not present.
Judge Karen Asphaug lifted the bail, and then gave each side a new chance to argue their case.
Prosecutor Phil Prokopowicz again asked for $1 million bail. He acknowledged the large amount, given the charges, but argued that it took nine weeks for federal authorities to find Grazzini-Rucki, that she has ID cards in two states, and that she uses prepaid cellphones to avoid being tracked.
MacDonald, who has been named by Lakeville police as "a person of interest" in the case of the missing girls, argued that Grazzini-Rucki should be released on her own recognizance.
She said her client was homeless, and offered that if she was released she would live with her.
Asphaug set the bail at $1 million, agreeing with Prokopowicz that Grazzini-Rucki presents a flight risk. She can also be released if she pays a $650,000 bail, but with restrictions, such as home monitoring.
