Buffalo Grove man accused of beating 72-year-old mother arrested after standoff

A Buffalo Grove man is being held in Lake County jail on allegations he bludgeoned his 72-year-old mother the afternoon before Mother's Day, authorities said Monday.

Mitchell Bender, 31, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty on a charge of aggravated battery to a person over 60 years of age, filed in connection with a reported assault in the home he shares with his mother.

Bender, of the 1300 block of Bristol Lane, was arrested at about 8 p.m. Sunday after a standoff with police on the 2400 block of Bluewater Drive in Wauconda, police said. That home is also owned by the victim, according to authorities.

Stephen Scheller, chief of felony review for the Lake County State's Attorney, said Bender's mother was on her computer at the Buffalo Grove home when she was attacked from behind at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

He threw his mother on a couch, then began slapping her, pulling her hair and striking her, Scheller said. Bender threatened to kill the victim if she phoned police, but she went to a neighbor's house to call authorities, Scheller said.

The woman had visible injuries, Scheller said, including a bruise on her left eye, cuts and scratches on her chest and shoulder, and an abrasion on her back.

Buffalo Grove police searched for Bender to no avail Saturday, Scheller said. On Sunday, they contacted Wauconda police and asked them to check the Bluewater Drive home.

Officers located Bender there and, because police believed he may have been armed with a handgun, surrounded the residence, officials said. Bender surrendered peacefully after a two-hour standoff, and no gun was recovered, police said.

Bender appeared in bond court early Monday where a judge ordered him held on $25,000 bail. The judge also required a mental health risk assessment for Bender, preventing the Buffalo Grove man from being released until after he speaks with a court-ordered specialist.

Bender is due back in Lake County court on May 18.