James Alex Fields Jr., the domestic terrorist who drove a car into a crowd of people protesting a neo-nazi rally in Charlottseville, Va., made his first court appearance on Monday (Aug. 14). The 20-year-old suspect was arraigned for second-degree murder, in addition to three counts of malicious wounding, and a single count of hit and run.
Fields was denied bond during the brief hearing, and assigned court-appointed attorney, Charles Weber, reports NBC News.
The Ohio resident, who told the court that he works for a private security company, was arrested not long after plowing into an unsuspecting crowd opposing the white supremacists event held in Charlottesville Saturday (Aug. 12). The vehicular attack claimed the life of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, and left 19 injured.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Fields’ mother, Samantha Bloom, said she had no clue about her son’s intentions. She merely thought he was attending a rally of some sort, but didn’t bother to ask questions.
“I try to stay out of his political views. We don’t really get to involved…I moved him out to his own apartment,” Bloom said when two reporters broke the news that her son drove his car into a crowd. “I don’t really understand what the rally was about…I didn’t know it was [a] white supremacists [rally]…I thought it had something to do with Trump.
“Trump’s not a white supremacist I mean he had an African-American friends so…” Bloom added.
Fields’ next court appearance is scheduled for August 25.