An Illinois man has been sentenced for the shocking murder of his mother, a crime characterized by its “brutal and heinous” nature, which he later confessed to his brother.

Twenty-three-year-old Abel Quinones-Herstad received a 38-year prison sentence after admitting to the first-degree murder of his mother, as confirmed by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office in a statement.

Quinones-Herstad was only 20 when he brutally ended the life of 55-year-old Edith Gonzalez-Alarcon on July 14, 2022.

On that fateful day, he stabbed his mother 26 times at her residence on Jackson Place in Aurora. After the attack, he allegedly hid her body in a closet and concealed the weapon under a living room rug.

Following the crime, Quinones-Herstad fled to Wisconsin, seeking refuge at his brother’s home. It was there that he reportedly confessed, saying he had “done something bad” to their mother and wouldn’t return, according to authorities.

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.