Javier Bahena-Arellano case on American Monster - A detailed case overview

In the suburbs of Illinois, Francisca Quintero, a mother of three, spent over two decades in a marriage marked by escalating violence from her husband, Javier Bahena-Arellano. After years of suffering in silence, Quintero mustered the courage to separate, seeking a path to safety and independence for herself and her children. 

However, on March 22, 2015, at the Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Bahena-Arellano's inability to accept the breakup resulted in a deadly altercation. There, Quintero's family was devastated when Javier Bahena-Arellano fatally stabbed her in a hospital restroom amid the grief of losing her brother to a heart attack.  

The Investigation Discovery series American Monster delves into this story in Season 13, Episode 7, titled Mom Is Always Right, highlighting the hidden dangers behind seemingly ordinary lives. Viewers can watch the episode on December 9, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. It is also available for streaming on Max and discovery+ shortly after airing. 

American Monster: The early years of Francisca and Javier Bahena

In their early adult years, Francisca Quintero and Javier Bahena-Arellano met and established a life together in the United States.  Over the course of their more than 20-year marriage, they raised three children.  

The couple lived in places like Burlington, Wisconsin, and McHenry, Illinois, where Quintero worked to provide for the family. Javier Bahena-Arellano's abusive and domineering behavior was an early warning sign. He was charged with two counts of battery and had a history of domestic abuse against his wife.

He was deported to Mexico after an incident, but he returned to the United States illegally in 2010. Quintero stayed in the marriage to give their kids stability despite the warning. Another recurrent theme was Javier Bahena-Arellano's jealousy; their arguments were frequently predicated on baseless allegations of adultery.

She took care of her family and ran the household in spite of being physically abused and emotionally manipulated. Because she occasionally tried to make amends and hoped that things would get better after each violent incident, the cycle of tolerance and forgiveness continued.

Quintero's marriage became challenging as a result of these frequent incidents, and he eventually lost contact with support networks. By the early 2010s, the abuse had actually gotten worse, and family members were discussing her safety in whispers.

Because Quintero was determined to maintain a façade of normalcy for the kids, any official intervention was postponed, allowing the toxicity to fester unchecked, as per ABC7 Chicago.

 The decision to leave and the growing tensions

In 2014, Francisca Quintero could no longer bear the cumulative toll of this abuse and made a difficult choice to separate from Javier Bahena-Arellano. She moved into a new residence in McHenry, Illinois, after more than 20 years with him, in an effort to get away and protect herself and her three children.

The separation was not amicable; Javier Bahena-Arellano could not come to terms with the change in status, as he saw it as a personal betrayal rather than a needed change for safety. Throughout that time, Quintero dedicated herself to re-establishing her life, working regularly, and nurturing relationships with her extended family members.

She informed her relatives briefly about the past violence, allowing them to understand that she needed to leave it all behind. Javier Bahena-Arellano continued to keep in contact with her, frequently urging her to reunite. His jealousy continued, fanned by a misinterpretation of her daily interactions.

The family described Quintero as more relaxed after the separation, making plans for her future and attending family gatherings. However, deep-seated fears prevailed, as Javier Bahena-Arellano's threats suggested he would not let go.

He did not want a divorce, going so far as to say it was unacceptable in his culture. Quintero's family was quietly supportive, advocating independence for her without inflaming the situation, according to the NBC.

The tragic day at the hospital

Francisca Quintero's world came further apart when, on March 22, 2015, her brother had a fatal heart attack at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The family converged at the Cardiac Care Unit to wait for Quintero's parents, who would be coming in from Mexico, amidst great sorrow.

Javier Bahena-Arellano, although estranged, even showed up at the hospital to pay his respects, joining relatives in a vigil. At about 11:30 a.m., with other family members waiting outside, Bahena-Arellano removed Quintero's cellphone from the room and withdrew to his truck to review the device.

He found text messages that he perceived as confirmation of her affairs and that fueled an anger brewed from months of suspicion. He went back inside, got a screwdriver from his truck, and gave the keys to a brother-in-law, telling him he was done.

He followed Quintero into a first-floor bathroom and locked the door. Relatives outside heard a struggle, followed by Quintero's desperate pleas: "Don't do this, I want to see my parents," and "Think of the children." Javier Bahena-Arellano reportedly replied, "I told you what I was going to do to you." Screams echoed as he stabbed her three times in the chest, severing her aorta.

Relatives managed to push the door open and found Quintero collapsed on the floor, bloody and unresponsive. Bahena-Arellano was standing over her, clutching the weapon, and then pointed to the phone, saying, "Your motive."

Relatives rushed Quintero from the apartment to seek help, and she was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m. A security guard apprehended Javier Bahena-Arellano, who told authorities, "She cheated on me," before plunging the screwdriver into a wall. The hospital locked down briefly but resumed operations without further incident, as per ABC7.

The legal proceedings and aftermath

Following the stabbing, Cook County prosecutors charged Javier Bahena-Arellano with one count of first-degree murder after he was taken into custody at the scene.  When he appeared before Judge Joseph Michael Cataldo on March 23, 2015, the judge declined to grant him bond due to the attack's premeditation.

Bahena-Arellano's history of domestic abuse and his clear motivation for alleged infidelity were cited by investigators as crucial elements in their case. While awaiting a preliminary hearing set for April 13, 2015, he was detained at Cook County Jail.

The case continued in court, with evidence pointing toward witness statements of family members who heard the fatal exchange. On April 24, 2017, Bahena-Arellano pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in McHenry County Court. Judge Joel Greenblatt sentenced him to 30 years in prison, describing the act as "cowardly, heartless, and careless."

The judge pointed to the timing, when the family was in grief over the death of Quintero's brother and the loss of her three children, who were left without a mother. No direct statements from Quintero's family were made public in court records, but it rippled through relatives, who struggled with the aftermath emotionally and logistically for years.

Bahena-Arellano, who is now in his late 50s, serves his sentence in an Illinois correctional facility, with the possibility of parole after 15 years, according to ABC7.

Watch American Monster season 13, episode 7 on ID.