More Details In Case Of Son Arrested In Death Of Maplewood Mom

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A Maplewood man was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday after his mother was found dead in her Maplewood home on Monday, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.

Benjamin Avrut, 35, of Maplewood, has been "arrested and charged with the murder of his mother," according to a joint announcement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Maplewood Police Chief Jimmy DeVaul on Tuesday.

His mother was Gwen Avrut, 70.

A NorthJersey.com story on Tuesday said that a family member had called police out of concern on Monday, leading police to find Gwen Avrut that afternoon. The story also said that an unidentified person was seen on video entering the home with the suspect after 9:30 a.m. and later leaving with him around 1:20 p.m.

Prosecutor's Office Spokeswoman Katherine Carter told Patch on Tuesday afternoon that no one else had been arrested.

According to the mother's Facebook page, she was a graduate of Bayonne High School and studied at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Prosecutors said that on Monday, at approximately 12:56 p.m., Gwen was discovered in her condo on South Orange Avenue, "unresponsive suffering from serious injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:39 p.m."

In a Facebook post on Dec. 28, Gwen wrote that it was her birthday and that she was asking for donations for the Alzheimer's Association.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. Calls will be kept confidential.

More information will be posted on Maplewood Patch when it's obtained.

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