ELYRIA — The man accused of kidnapping and shooting a 43-year-old woman in a horrific ordeal Tuesday made his first court appearance today.

 Matthew Plas, 25, appeared in Elyria Municipal Court via video for his arraignment on attempted murder and kidnapping charges.

 He told the judge that he lived at home with his wife and children in Wellington, but Prosecutor Joseph Grunda countered that – saying Plas’ wife has a protection order that requires him to stay away from her.

 Judge Lisa Locke Graves ordered Plas held without bond in the Lorain County Jail.

Plas, who was mostly quiet during the appearance, did say one thing of interest.

 “I know I’ve done a stupid thing, your honor,” he told Locke Graves.

Plas is accused of abducting the 43-year-old woman, shooting her in the back and stuffing her in a car trunk before taking off on a journey where it appeared he was trying to dump her and leave her for dead, only to have strangers intervene and alert authorities, who eventually found her near an abandoned store and captured him by the county Equestrian Trails.

 Sheriff’s deputies have said it does not appear Plas and the woman knew one another, and police were awaiting test results to determine whether she was raped, too, as she told one of her rescuers.

As of Tuesday, reports were that the woman — who was shot in the middle of her back — could not move her legs. No update on her condition was available as of yet today. 

 

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