Poor work by state investigators led to AJ Freund’s death: lawsuit

Andrew “AJ” Freund was killed earlier this year. | National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Shoddy work by two state investigators were ultimately responsible for the death of a 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy earlier this year, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday claims.

AJ Freund’s parents have been charged in his murder.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleges that Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigators showed “inhumane indifference” to AJ’s safety, which ultimately led to his killing earlier this year, the Daily Herald is reporting.

The suit was filed by State Bank of Geneva as administrator of AJ’s estate. It names as defendants Carlos Acosta, a child protection specialist for DCFS, and his supervisor Andrew R. Polovin. The two are accused of operating a “sham investigation” into prior allegations that AJ was abused and falsifying reports about their work, according to the Daily Herald.

Andrew Freund, 60, and JoAnn Cunningham, 36, are charged with first-degree murder in their son’s death in April; they are accused of beating him to death in their home.

More on this story is available on the Daily Herald’s website.

Andrew Freund, 60, and JoAnn Cunningham, 36, are charged with murder in the death of their son, Andrew “AJ” Freund.