The Fort Lee resident who allegedly ran over his girlfriend multiple times was extradited from Queens back to NJ to face murder charges. Charles Ann, 26, who apparently fled to a friend's apartment in Flushing after the fatal confrontation, will be arraigned on Monday. His public defender told WCBS 2, "In my opinion, he does seem sympathetic. He does seem ‘normal.’ You know, I know he’s kind of been painted as a bad guy in the media."
According to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, Ann and girlfriend Aena Hong, 25, had a tumultuous relationship (she was supposedly trying to break up with him) and were seen arguing on a Fort Lee sidewalk on Monday afternoon. Ann got in his car and drove away—but then allegedly came back to hit Hong as she crossed the street. Witnesses saw the car run over Hong at three times. A nearby bank manager who served in Iraq and saw Hong's body said, "I’m a vet. I was overseas. I haven’t seen anything this horrific since I got back."
The car sped off, but authorities found Ann in Queens with $3,000 cash and his passport (he is a naturalized citizen with family in South Korea). He was held there until yesterday on $3 million bail. The Post, which declared, "He looks more like a high-school Poindexter than a psycho killer," noted that Ann was "in thick glasses and wearing the same gray shirt and black-and-white track slacks he wore at a hearing on Wednesday" during yesterday's extradition hearing. Lawyer Uchenna Emeagwali said, “He seems sympathetic now. He does understand how serious the case is. My heart goes out to the families.”
