Charlottesville Suspect charged with 2nd degree murder (Video of Crash)

(James Alex Fields Jr. - Charlottesville, Virginia, Police Department)

The Ohio man accused of killing a woman, after he rammed his car into a group protesting a white nationalist rally in Virginia, was denied bail today during his first court appearance.

20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. appeared via video conference from a local jail, and didn't enter a plea in connection with the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

Fields was arrested not long after he slammed his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of demonstrators in Charlottesville, sending some of them flying into the air. The crash injured 19 protesters and killed Heather Heyer.

The Associated Press talked with Fields' mother, Samantha Lea Bloom, after the chaos. She said that she knew her son was going to a rally, but didn't know much about it. 

She said she tried to "stay out of his political views."

Derek Weimer, 45, was one of Fields' teachers in high school. He told The Cincinnati Enquirer that Fields was a "very bright kid but very misguided and disillusioned.”

Weimar said:

“A lot of boys get interested in the Germans and Nazis because they’re interested in World War II, but James took it to another level.”

At his court appearance this morning, Fields was given a court-appointed attorney and an August 25th return date.

He is currently held in at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.