In a tragic case out of Illinois, a young man has been sentenced for the shocking murder of his mother in what authorities have described as a “brutal and heinous” act. Abel Quinones-Herstad, now 23, received a 38-year prison sentence after admitting to the first-degree murder of his mother, Edith Gonzalez-Alarcon, as reported by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

At just 20 years old, Quinones-Herstad committed the crime on July 14, 2022. That day, he attacked his 55-year-old mother at her residence on Jackson Place in Aurora, inflicting 26 stab wounds, which ultimately led to her death. In an attempt to conceal the crime, he reportedly placed her body in a closet and hid the murder weapon beneath a rug in the living room.

After the horrific incident, Quinones-Herstad fled to Wisconsin, seeking refuge with his brother. During his stay, he confessed to his brother, saying he had done something terrible to their mother and could not return home.

Authorities were alerted to the situation when the Aurora Police Department conducted a welfare check at Gonzalez-Alarcon’s home. The following morning, officers discovered her lifeless body, with an autopsy later confirming the cause of death as multiple stab wounds. Quinones-Herstad, who remained in Wisconsin following the crime, was apprehended by the West Allis Police Department.

The now-condemned defendant then traveled north across the border to Wisconsin, where his brother lived. Once there, he “stated that he had done something bad to their mother and could not go back,” according to police.

The Aurora Police Department was asked to conduct a welfare check at Gonzalez-Alarcon’s home, and the morning after the killing, they found the woman’s body. An autopsy confirmed she died from multiple stab wounds. Quinones-Herstad — who was still in Wisconsin — was eventually detained by the West Allis Police Department.

“This was a brutal and heinous crime that forever altered the lives of everyone involved,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Christine Bayer. “We acknowledge the family’s extraordinary bravery and strength. While this sentence brings accountability, we recognize that they will never fully heal from this loss.”

Quinones-Herstad must serve his full nearly-40-year sentence. He did, however, receive credit for 1,243 days served in the Kane County jail.