SCHAUMBURG, IL – Authorities in this northwest Chicago suburb say a routine Saturday morning took a deadly turn after a 28-year-old man allegedly killed his father and then summoned his mother home from work to discover the grisly scene.

Prosecutors allege that Abhijit Patel called his mother while she was at her job to tell her she “should go check” on her husband, 67-year-old Anupam Patel. The woman, growing anxious after receiving no word from her husband about his glucose levels—a daily check due to his diabetes—and seeing concerning readings on a health app, left work and headed home.

Arriving at the Schaumburg residence shortly after 10:30 a.m., she noticed the garage door was unlocked—an unusual detail that heightened her alarm, according to officials. Inside, her son reportedly greeted her and said he had “taken care of his father,” urging her to look in the bedroom.

According to prosecutors, what she found was harrowing. Anupam Patel lay in bed, covered in blood. A sledgehammer, believed to be the weapon used in the attack, was found next to the body. The mother immediately contacted 911.

Law enforcement officers responding to the scene detained Abhijit Patel without incident. He was taken into custody after placing his hands in the air, officials said. Medical personnel pronounced Anupam Patel dead at a nearby hospital. An autopsy determined the victim suffered at least two blows to the head, causing a skull fracture and broken nose.

When questioned by police, Abhijit Patel told investigators he acted out of a “religious duty,” and claimed his father had abused him during his childhood. However, prosecutors revealed that doctors had labeled Patel’s abuse allegations as “delusional.” Court documents show that he had previously been treated for schizophrenia in a psychiatric hospital.

The alleged attack happened despite an active order of protection barring Abhijit Patel from having contact with his father, the result of earlier threats he had made against him. That protection order, which began earlier this year, was meant to last until 2027.

Prosecutors also noted that Abhijit Patel’s troubling conduct extended beyond the family home. In November, he was reportedly prohibited from entering the University of Illinois Chicago campus after making alarming remarks in student group chats and on social media. School officials required him to undergo psychiatric evaluation before allowing him to return.

Patel now faces a charge of first-degree murder. At his Monday court appearance, a judge ordered him held without bond and barred him from contacting his mother. He is scheduled to return to court on December 19.