AURORA, IL — A 23-year-old man took a plea bargain in the murder of his mother, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said Wednesday.
Abel Quinones-Herstad, of Aurora, agreed to a 38-year prison term in exchange for a guilty plea to the offense of first-degree murder. Judge Barsanti accepted his plea.
Quinones-Herstad stabbed his mother, Edith Gonzalez-Alarcon, to death using a knife on July 14, 2022, according to prosecutors. The then-20-year-old then fled to Wisconsin, where his brother lived, telling him he had “done something bad” to their mother and could not go back, officials said.
The next morning, Aurora police were contacted to do a wellness check at Gonzalez-Alarcon’s residence in the 0-99 block of Jackson Place, where officers found the body of the 55-year-old in a closet and a knife hidden under a rug in the living room.
An autopsy found that Gonzalez-Alarcon had been stabbed 26 times, Mosser said.
Quinones-Herstad is required by law to serve his full sentence. He was credited for the 1,243 days served in the Kane County jail.
“This was a brutal and heinous crime that forever altered the lives of everyone involved,” First Assistant State’s Attorney Christine Bayer said in a statement.
She continued: “I extend my deepest gratitude to the Aurora Police Department — especially Detective Martyn — and the West Allis Police Department for their relentless work and commitment to justice. I would also like to thank Victim Advocate Martha Martinez for her unwavering support of the victim’s family during this case. 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.”
