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Residents of Ohio town horrified by connection to car attack at Charlottesville rally

Maumee, Ohio man suspected of ramming car into crowd of counterprotestors

MAUMEE, Ohio – The Ohio man who rammed his car into a group of counterprotestors in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a woman, is being held Monday night without bond.

James Alex Fields Jr., who is currently living in Maumee, Ohio, has given the people in that small town a scare, and they took to the streets to denounce his actions and his beliefs.

WATCH: President Trump's second statement on Charlottesville attack condemns hate groups

Nobody in the crowd said they knew Fields, but they said they can't believe Maumee has a connection to what happened over the weekend in Charlottesville.

Hundreds of people who said they were horrified over the pictures they saw coming out of Virginia took to the streets Monday night.

"I was horrified," Scott Dibling said. "Then when I discovered that the car that did it was registered in this very county, I blew a gasket."

"I know that racism is everywhere, you know, and I wondered, 'Really? Maumee, Ohio?' It's so close to home," Melanie Christiansen said.

It was inconceivable to many people in the crowd that a 20-year-old man would be so consumed by prejudices that he'd become a Nazi sympathizer and not only marched Saturday in the Charlottesville rally, but took his car and rammed it into a crowd of counterprotestors.

"I'm in standing up for all lives, for black lives, for anyone who's been oppressed," Belinda Costin said. "I want people to know that all are welcomed and loved and accepted."

Fields was photographed marching in the rally with a shield showing the Vanguard America logo hours before police said he rammed into the crowd.

"I was born and raised in this town," Jeffrey Albright said. "I was taught valuable lessons, and to love people. There's hate in this world and hate in this town. I just want to counteract that with a little bit of love."

Fields didn't attend high school in Maumee, but in Union, Kentucky, where his radical views on race were discovered.


About the Authors
Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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