BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Relatives of a Connecticut woman charged with killing her ex-boyfriend with her car say he had choked her with a belt and she drove at him to try to save her life.

Twenty-one-year-old Cherelle Baldwin of Bridgeport was arraigned on a murder charge in state court Tuesday in the death of 24-year-old Jeffrey Brown, the father of her toddler son. She's detained on $1 million bail.

Police say Baldwin ran down Brown with her car and crushed him against a wall in Bridgeport on May 18. She was arrested Monday after a three-week investigation.

Baldwin's cousin tells WFSB-TV that Baldwin and Brown had a history of domestic violence and Baldwin was trying to save her own life after being choked by Brown. Brown's family denies that claim.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox