Wheeling teen pleads guilty to attempted murder
A Wheeling teenager pleaded guilty to stabbing the mother of his child last year, court records show.
Apolinar Serna-Jacob, 18, was sentenced Monday to 18 years in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to attempted first-degree murder, a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
The stabbing followed an argument over the parentage of the former couple's infant, an argument that prosecutors say began on Facebook and spilled over into real life.
Serna-Jacob and the victim were juniors at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates in January 2013 when he confronted her about claims that he was not the father of the then-1-month-old, prosecutors said during Serna-Jacob's bond hearing last year. They say he went to the Hoffman Estates apartment where the 17-year-old victim lived with her family, pulled a butcher knife from his pocket and stabbed her 16 times in the chest, arms and stomach.
During the attack, the victim's mother ran with the baby into a bedroom and locked the door while the victim's sister attempted to stop the attack, prosecutors said. The victim recovered from her wounds.
Serna-Jacob received credit for 491 days in custody. He must complete at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.