MIDDLEBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - A Brockton man who was in the process of opening a coffee shop in Middleborough is facing a criminal charge after police say he assaulted a man with an intellectual disability who worked for him and tried to force the victim to sign over the title to his vehicle.
After a two-week investigation into possible predatory business practices, Charles G. El-Helou, 53, who was planning to open Hugs & Yums, was arrested Friday on a charge of assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability (felony), Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins said in a statement.
Middleborough detectives spoke to an Assonet woman Thursday who reported that her 25-year-old son had been assaulted by El-Helou while working as a painter and laborer and that El-Helou tried to get her son to sign his vehicle’s title over to him by promising to buy him a new truck from a dealership, Perkins said.
The woman said El-Helou grabbed the man by the neck and made a growling sound when the man suggested he couldn’t make it to work the next day because his vehicle was being repaired.
The victim allegedly continued to work at the business until June 14 but was never paid for any of his labor.
“In this instance, we allege that the suspect withheld compensation and assaulted his intellectually disabled employee while trying to force him to sign over the title to his motor vehicle,” Perkins said in a statement. “This is a disturbing and unfortunate situation, in which we believe vulnerable citizens were being taken advantage of, and we urge all of our residents and families to be vigilant.”
El-Helou was ordered held on $500 bail pending his arraignment Monday in Wareham District Court.
Additional charges may be added.
The case has also been reported to the Massachusetts Disabled Persons Protection Commission and a report will be filed with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office on Monday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Middleborough Police Department at 508-947-1212.
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