By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Aaron Akel, 46, of Dearborn Heights was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison for second degree murder after he killed his 73-year-old mother Ibtisam Field.
The sentencing took place June 8 before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge James Chylinski. Akel has 401 days credit for the time he has served so far.
He pled guilty to the murder charge May 20 and a first degree premeditated charge was dismissed, according to court records.
In May 2021, Akel was charged with the strangulation death of his mother and was arraigned two days later in 20th District Court. At the time of the crime, Akel was on probation for assaulting his mother.
Police were dispatched to a house in the 5360 block of Pardee about 4:40 a.m. May 4, 2021, where officers found Field’s lifeless body in the bedroom.
Medics arrived on scene where it was determined that Field died of strangulation. Akel was arrested at the scene.
On Nov. 2, 2020, Akel was arrested and charged in Wayne County Circuit Court with assault with intent to do great bodily harm and misdemeanor domestic violence arising out of an incident involving his mother. He pled guilty to the assault charge on March 16, 2021.
On that date the defense attorney moved to release Akel pending the sentence hearing. The prosecution opposed this motion, and Judge Noah Hood agreed that Akel should remain in custody.
Akel was in custody from November 2020 until the date of his sentence hearing on April 7, 2021. His guidelines called for a sentence of up to 11 months in jail. He was sentenced to three years probation, including 157 days in the county jail with credit for time served.
Field attended the sentence hearing where she asked that her son be released. She informed the court that she wanted her son to receive drug and mental health treatment and that she would like to have contact with him again.
Hood ordered that there be no contact with Field. He also ordered Akel to receive treatment at a facility to be arranged by the probation department.
Akel was released but did not call the probation agent as directed by the court. The probation agent was able to track down Akel and refer him to a facility, but he failed to report.
The agent attempted to follow up but was unable to reach Akel and began the process of filing an amended order with the court. Despite the no contact order, at some point Field allowed Akel to live at her house.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)