A 23-year-old man from Massachusetts has been arrested for the alleged murder of his mother. Michael Belous is accused of beating his 51-year-old mother, Elena Vainer, to death inside his home while she was visiting for the weekend. Belous was taken into custody on Monday and has been charged with assault and battery on a household or family member, as well as assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. He will face additional charges for murder.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan reported about the incident with Lowell Police Department Superintendent Greg Hudon. They said that Vainer had been staying at Belous’ home over the weekend. In the early morning hours of Monday, July 17, the Lowell Police Department received a call from Belous reporting that his mother had been severely beaten and was “barely breathing.” Responding officers found Vainer inside the home with visible bruising to her face and other signs of trauma. Despite the efforts of paramedics to help her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The case has been given to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Middlesex County. The medical examiner will help to determine the official cause and manner of Vainer’s death. Authorities believe that a physical altercation occurred during the visit, resulting in Vainer being severely beaten and sustaining multiple injuries to her head and neck.
A neighbor who witnessed the scene after the police arrived described Belous as acting “out of his mind” and behaving erratically. Belous was reportedly screaming and displaying strange behavior.
During a hearing at Lowell District Court, Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Yashmeen Desai requested that Belous be held in detention without bond. Desai indicated that prosecutors anticipate filing additional and more severe charges against Belous in the coming days. Belous’ defense attorney, Stanley Norkunas, argued that there is currently no evidence linking his client to the injuries inflicted on Vainer.