ARLINGTON, TN (abc24.com) - His lawyer says it's a case of mistaken identity, but neighbors St. Roland Jean-Charles, say mistaken identity or not, he got out of jail quickly and now the man accused of attacking a jogger is putting them all on edge.
The neighborhood was shaken early Monday, Dec. 22, 2011, when the 50-year-old woman was attacked during her morning run.
Sugar Ray Wells, lives a few doors down from Jean-Charles, he says, "He should be put where he can't bother anybody."
Weston Thompson says everyone's talking about the attack, "I know he went there and tried to beat up or kidnap her and I know his wife bailed him out of jail and he's living three doors down from me and I don't really like that."
The men on the quiet Arlington street weren't afraid to speak up about the man just a few doors down. Wednesday, Dec. 21 neighbors noticed Jean-Charles back home. Rich Gossage says, "That's terrible. People like that should be locked up a little longer instead of bonding out so quickly."
The neighborhood women are all talking, but behind closed doors. Weston Thompson says, "My mom has been really nervous and my sister said she thought she saw someone walking in the backyard. She's really nervous about it."
In the court of public opinion, his neighbors believe Jean-Charles is the man who attacked the jogger. When Sheriff's deputies arrived Jean-Charles was found nearby, he matched the victim's description of the suspect. His lawyer, Blake Ballin says his client was just out for a run and got wrapped up in a mess he knew nothing about. "I know her description was she was attacked by a male black." Ballin says, "Jean-Charles is male, black, was in the back of a police car. She simply made a mistake."
Ballin says those mistakes happen often in high stress situations. He agrees that neighbors should be nervous but not because of Jean-Charles. "I would suggest that of course they should be fearful when an attack like this happens in their neighborhood," Ballin says, "but what we know about eyewitness ID's is that they are faulty and they are faulty all the time."
Neighbors say, they still worry because they believe this ID may be correct.
