An Aurora man pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 38 years in prison in the stabbing death of his mother, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.

Judge John Barsanti handed down the sentence Dec. 9 in exchange for the plea from Abel Quinones-Herstad, 23, who murdered his mother, Edith Gonzalez-Alarcon, on July 14, 2022 – two days before his 20th birthday – by stabbing her 26 times, killing her, according to the release.

An autopsy revealed how many time she had been stabbed, authorities said.

First Assistant State’s Attorney Christine Bayer said in court that after he killed his mother, Quinones-Herstad went to his brother’s home in Wisconsin and said that he had done something bad to their mother and could not go back, according to the release.

Aurora police did a welfare check at Gonzalez-Alarcon’s residence the next morning and found the body of 55-year-old Edith Gonzalez-Alarcon in a closet. Police found a knife that was underneath a living room rug, according to the release.

West Allis police took Quinones-Herstad into custody while he was still in Wisconsin.

Quinones-Herstad originally was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, Class M felonies, each punishable by 20 to 60 years in prison if convicted.

In accordance with state law, Quinones-Herstad must serve the full sentence, but he will receive credit for 1,243 days served in the Kane County jail, according to the release.

“This was a brutal and heinous crime that forever altered the lives of everyone involved,” Bayer said in the release.

She thanked Aurora and West Allis police and others involved in the investigation and prosecution.

“We acknowledge the family’s extraordinary bravery and strength,” Bayer said in the release. “While this sentence brings accountability, we recognize that they will never fully heal from this loss.”