Lowell Man Charged with Murder in Assault on Mother

WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has announced that Michael Belous, 24, of Lowell has been indicted for murder by the Middlesex County Grand Jury in connection with an assault on his mother, Elena Vainer, 51, of Reading, in Lowell on July 17, 2023.

Belous was previously charged with assault and battery on a household or family member and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and has been held without bail since his arraignment in Lowell District Court on July 17, 2023.

On July 17, 2023, at approximately 12:57 a.m. Lowell Police responded to a 911 call from Mr. Belous stating that he had found his mother beaten up and barely breathing inside his home on Middlesex Street in Lowell. When officers and paramedics arrived at the scene, they located the defendant’s mother, Elena Vainer, suffering from severe head, face, arm and neck injuries. While conversing with the defendant, Officers observed minor injuries on Mr. Belous’ hands.

The subsequent investigation revealed that the victim had been in Lowell visiting her son at his Middlesex Street condominium over the weekend of July 17. At some point during the visit a physical altercation occurred that resulted in the victim being severely beaten and suffering multiple injuries to her head and neck. A review of surveillance video of the area allegedly revealed that the victim and the defendant were the only parties inside the home.

On July 18, 2023, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the victim. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma and mechanical asphyxia.

Mr. Belous was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court on the upgraded charge of murder. At his arraignment, Clerk Magistrate Daniel Flaherty ordered the defendant held without bail and scheduled the next court hearing on January 23.

This case is being investigated by the Lowell Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The prosecutors assigned to this case are Assistant District Attorney Christopher Tarrant and Assistant District Attorney Yashmeen Desai. The Victim Witness Advocate is Darya Matkovska.