A 26-year-old New Jersey man was arrested today for allegedly murdering his girlfriend by repeatedly running over her with his car in Fort Lee, NJ, yesterday after she attempted to break up with him, authorities said.
Charles J. Ann, of Fort Lee, was busted in Queens, where he fled, authorities said. He’s being held in Queens Criminal Court on $3 million cash bail for allegedly killing Aena Hong, 25, also of Fort Lee. He was charged with first-degree murder.
“As the victim was crossing the road, Charles Ann rapidly accelerated his motor vehicle, striking Ms. Hong,” Bergen County Prosecutor Jon K. Molinelli said today. “The investigation further revealed that after striking the victim, the driver, Ann, put the car on reverse and backed out over the victim and subsequently drove over the victim again.”
Ann drove forward and backward over Hong three times, Molinelli said.
Authorities suspect Ann, who was born in Korea, was going to flee the country. He was captured at a friend’s house in Queens early this morning with a passport and large amounts of cash, authorities said.
“The investigation further reveals that Ms. Hong had a tumultuous dating relationship with Charles J. Ann, and was recently trying to end the relationship,” Molinelli said.
Witnesses described a horrific crime scene. One woman said her husband tried to stop the car.
“My husband was coming back from work and he saw something happen with the car,” said Hasmik Manoukain of her husband Nazarit. “He didn’t know a woman was killed. He yelled ‘stop, stop’ and he was holding the [car door] handle and the guy was back [and] forth, back [and] forth and the lady was on the floor.
“My husband, he was trying to open the door but it was locked.”
Gene Hoffman was sitting at his desk at the nearby Wells Fargo branch that he manages.
“I heard the start and stop of tires spinning it happened four or five times,” Hoffman said. “I heard the sound of a tire squealing and then stop, tire squealing and then stop. I heard someone crying and screaming.
“When I got up from my desk, I heard people screaming I saw the body it was horrific. … I haven’t seen anything like that since I was overseas in combat in Iraq.”
Hong Liu said his mother saw a woman walking along the street and a man driving slowing beside her as they talked. She heard the woman say “no” and the man got out of the car and began arguing with her.
A few moments later his mother came back and saw the body in the street.