CHARLOTTESVILLE — A man charged in connection with the beating of a black man during violent clashes in Charlottesville the day of a white nationalist rally has been arrested, authorities in Georgia said.
Alex Michael Ramos, 33, turned himself in Monday evening to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Lawson Bittick told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Ramos faces one count of malicious wounding in the attack on DeAndre Harris, which was captured in photos and video that went viral. The attack by a group of men left him with a wrist injury and head wound that required staples.
Ramos will have an extradition hearing Tuesday, said Bittick, who didn’t know if Ramos has an attorney.
Bittick said Ramos is an unemployed construction worker, and Charlottesville police said when they announced the charge that his last known address was Marietta, Ga.
In an interview with Atlanta TV station WGCL, Ramos said he’s not a white nationalist.
“I was there because, pretty much, I’m a conservative … there were some non-racist members who were going to a free speech rally,” he said.
He called the incident “a defensive attack” and said he hit Harris once. Others beat him with sticks and shields, Ramos said.
Another man charged in the beating, Daniel Borden of suburban Cincinnati, appeared by video Tuesday and declined to waive extradition to Virginia, where he also faces a charge of malicious wounding. Hamilton County Magistrate Michael Bachman set bond at $100,000 and scheduled a Sept. 29 hearing.
Attorney Greg Berberich has said Borden’s family expects him to be exonerated.
