CONCORD, Mass. — A Massachusetts teen is accused of killing his mother and younger brother, who were found dead in the family’s home, authorities said.
According to WFXT, Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan said during a Wednesday news conference that Arjun Aravind, 17, of Acton, was charged with two counts of murder, two counts of assault and battery on a family member, two counts of assault and battery, use of a vehicle without authority, and theft, Ryan said.
The teen is accused of killing his mother, Sudha Venkatesan, 45; and his brother, Siddharth Aravind, 14, according to the television station.
The suspect was arraigned on Thursday in Concord District Court, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He is being held without bond.
Ryan called the incident an “unspeakable tragedy,” adding that it was a “very dark day” for the community.
Officers conducted a welfare check at the Acton residence at about 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, WFXT reported. They were called after the teen’s father reported that a tutor expected at the residence was unable to enter it.
The suspect was apprehended in Wayland, Massachusetts, on Wednesday after police said he fled the scene in his mother’s vehicle, Ryan said during the news conference.
Acton teen accused of killing mother, brother used AI to make disturbing searches, DA says https://t.co/KXShcXIccW
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) August 13, 2026
Ryan said that the teen had been demonstrating concerning behavior, WFXT reported. She said the boy was using the internet and ChatGPT to search for “theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family.”
“He was engaged in the use of ChatGPT to create fantasy stories, Gothic novels, creating characters asking what about this, what about that, which appear to relate to threats to his family not surviving,” Ryan told reporters.
A cause of death has yet to be determined.
Prosecutors said in court on Thursday that there were “obvious signs of a physical and violent struggle” at the residence, ABC News reported. They added that the victims suffered “blunt-force trauma.”
Venkatesan was last seen by her husband when he left for work around 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday, WFXT reported. The 14-year-old boy was last seen at a recreational facility before returning about five hours later, Ryan said.
“The deaths occurred in a fairly large window,” Ryan said.
Arjun Aravind was arraigned on Thursday in Concord District Court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Debra DeWitt, who is the teen’s attorney, spoke with reporters after the arraignment.
“When he left the house, he did not realize they were dead so he is, in my words, in somewhat of a shock situation,” DeWitt said.
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