47°
Pavel Belous, 37, was sentenced to four consecutive 10-to-20-year sentences for a total of 40 to 80 years in prison, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement Wednesday, Nov. 9.
Belous had previously pleaded guilty to terrorizing a Bucks County teen on March 11, 2021.
According to the DA, Belous spotted his then-18-year-old victim at a Philadelphia convenience store before stalking him all the way to a McDonald's in Upper Southampton Township.
While the teen was eating in his car at about 10:30 p.m., prosecutors said a masked Belous hopped in the passenger seat with a knife, demanding money. He forced the boy to withdraw $450 from an ATM before demanding the victim take him to his home, authorities said.
On the drive home, the DA said Belous removed his mask and threatened to kill the boy to stop him from identifying his attacker to the police. He also said he would kill the victim's mother and then burn their house down, officials added.
As the pair were walking toward the victim's house, police said the teen was able to grab his Boy Scout pocket knife from his car and stab Belous in the back, paralyzing him.
The boy ran inside and called police, who found a wounded Belous hiding in his victim's car, the DA said.
During the investigation that followed, police learned Belous was charged with killing a man in Philadelphia and burning his house down just days before he threatened to do the same in Bucks.
At the sentencing hearing Wednesday, the victim cried as he told Bucks County Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. he still has vivid nightmares about the ordeal.
"I don’t see this going away for a while,” he said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Reading and receive free news updates.
