IL IL - Andrew Freund, 5, Crystal Lake, 17 April 2019

[Cubby]

Illinois is one of the strictest states as far as the children go. Child services has always been a priority to our government. If dcfs had been contacted previously, I could almost guarantee that it was followed up on, it probably just went on to be ‘unfounded’

I’m just hoping one day we can solve this homeschool crisis.

Illinois is one of the strictest states as far as the children go. Child services has always been a priority to our government. If dcfs had been contacted previously, I could almost guarantee that it was followed up on, it probably just went on to be ‘unfounded’

I’m just hoping one day we can solve this homeschool crisis.

Did we hear AJ was home schooled?

 

[NervousNellie]

Did we hear AJ was home schooled?

It’s been said he did not go to school yet.

 

[Peppery]

Did we hear AJ was home schooled?

He was born 10/14/13 so would have been 4 when school started. I don’t live in IL but in my state and many others he would not have been eligible to start kindergarten this school year.

 

[Simply Southern]

Respectfully, Chicago, particularly high crime low income neighborhoods are not the burbs.

According to msm we know AJ was born with opiates in his system, he spent more than a year in foster care and DCFS was involved with this family until late 2018. That's all but 4 or so months of AJ's life. I wouldn't exactly call that nothing.

I am not fully caught up with this thread, but if I had to guess, I wonder if they accidentally od'd him giving him benedryl or something to keep him out of their way. But, thaat is just a guess based on what msm has printed about the family history.

DCFS has investigated past abuse, neglect allegations in case of missing boy

Very good possibility. My BFs grandson, experienced what we thought was severe colic, at birth. She would keep him from Fri til Mon weekly to give the parents a break. I would go help walk the floor with him. He cried 24/7, would tense up like his whole body was in pain and scream and cry. It was heart breaking and the pediatrician tried everything. He was on an apena monitor and would stop breathing every 10 to 15 minute when sleeping.

After picking him up, and 4 weeks of this, we are riding home and it hits me hits be out of the clear blue...they are drugging him. I tend to have a sixth sense.

Sat. she takes him to the pediatrician and expresses her concern. They did STAT blood test and heavy doses of benadryl shows up. BINGO!!!

The pediatrician contacted the parents, told them she would test him weekly and if she found any level she would report to CPS. She refused to report this incident. The parents refused to let the grandmother see the child after this.

After three months the grandmother gets a call...come get him, we've done with this $***!

He graduated from HS last year with honors, his mom never showed up.

Yeap, it could be benadryl!!!!

 

[Armchair2]

When was the last time anyone Other than the family saw the child?

 

[TeaTime]

Five year olds do not go missing from their beds.

 

[MissMalowe]

I'm an advocate for always contacting your lawyer, and doing so not being a sign of guilt. Better to be safe than sorry and to navigate things with someone who has knowledge, experience, and your interests in mind.

I'm curious to know if mom chose to contact a lawyer or if the lawyer reached out and contacted her.

A couple sharing a home, a child(ren) and a life together but not sharing the same thought process on the necessity of a lawyer to represent both or 2 lawyers to represent each is a bit odd to me. It suggests, as simply an outsider looking in, that there is not a united front, or that there may not be in the future.

 

[ilovechili]

I'm an advocate for always contacting your lawyer, and doing so not being a sign of guilt. Better to be safe than sorry and to navigate things with someone who has knowledge, experience, and your interests in mind.

I'm curious to know if mom chose to contact a lawyer or if the lawyer reached out and contacted her.

A couple sharing a home, a child(ren) and a life together but not sharing the same thought process on the necessity of a lawyer to represent both or 2 lawyers to represent each is a bit odd to me. It suggests, as simply an outsider looking in, that there is not a united front, or that there may not be in the future.

Lawyering up, sad as it is, always looks like the person has something to hide. It probably is wise though as there have been cases where parents or a parent or a spouse has cooperated and becomes a suspect, is harassed and their reputation ruined where it is later found someone else was the guilty party.

It is an odd situation though, we had a bf, the mother and the husband all living together? In the same home? And with the children? The bf is in jail? The mom had an addicted baby? The dad was sanctioned or disbarred? Not exactly the best signs.

I get that does not make anyone guilty but it sure is food for thought.

The neighbors I believe have said they haven't seen a sign of this child in over a week before this. That reminds me of other cases, some of which are current...

 

[GreyhoundMom]

Five year olds do not go missing from their beds.

I looked it up and the instances of children of any age being abducted from their homes is extremely rare.

 

[Simply Southern]

Lawyering up, sad as it is, always looks like the person has something to hide. It probably is wise though as there have been cases where parents or a parent or a spouse has cooperated and becomes a suspect, is harassed and their reputation ruined where it is later found someone else was the guilty party.

It is an odd situation though, we had a bf, the mother and the husband all living together? In the same home? And with the children? The bf is in jail? The mom had an addicted baby? The dad was sanctioned or disbarred? Not exactly the best signs.

I get that does not make anyone guilty but it sure is food for thought.

The neighbors I believe have said they haven't seen a sign of this child in over a week before this. That reminds me of other cases, some of which are current...

I agree, lawyering up may be a good idea, however; she ENDED the police interview at her lawyers request. He stated, he ended the interview when it was suggested she maybe a suspect. (Reference video)

Anytime a child disappears the parents can expect to be questioned and offered a lie detector test. We saw this in the Smart case and others.

 

[Cubby]

He was born 10/14/13 so would have been 4 when school started. I don’t live in IL but in my state and many others he would not have been eligible to start kindergarten this school year.

In Illinois the cut off to enter KG is September 1st, so you're correct that he wasn't old enough to start kg. However, most areas here in the metro Chicago area have early childhood learning and there is preschool in public schools for those who qualify. With AJ's history, he would have almost certainly qualified, for both school, likely with an IEP and for transportation to and from school as kids with IEP's qualify for transportation, even if they live within a block of school. (I drive special needs kids, and I love it.) I drive kids younger than AJ, so I am certain he would qualify. Don't let the age thing fool ya.

 

[Cubby]

I'm an advocate for always contacting your lawyer, and doing so not being a sign of guilt. Better to be safe than sorry and to navigate things with someone who has knowledge, experience, and your interests in mind.

I'm curious to know if mom chose to contact a lawyer or if the lawyer reached out and contacted her.

A couple sharing a home, a child(ren) and a life together but not sharing the same thought process on the necessity of a lawyer to represent both or 2 lawyers to represent each is a bit odd to me. It suggests, as simply an outsider looking in, that there is not a united front, or that there may not be in the future.

I thought the father was a lawyer, so imo, it made sense she would hire her own attorney, as dad would be more familiar with representing himself, and have a better shot at throwing her under the bus if she didn't have her own representation.

 

[LietKynes]

I agree lawyering up may be a good idea, however; she ENDED the police interview at her lawyers request. He stated, he ended the interview when it was suggested she maybe a suspect. (Reference video)

Anytime a child disappears the parents can expect to be questioned and offered a lie detector test. We saw this in the Smart case and others.

SABBM

Bolded bit : Wow. Sensitive much ?

If your child is 'missing' and is not a runaway or abducted -- you cooperate !
You don't stop speaking to LE.
You ask them --no, you beg them to find your child .

And ask what you can do ! Take a LDT. Give them your phones, your computers/laptops/electronic devices.

If she thinks LE are looking at her as a suspect or a poi (and LE have not said this), is her conscience bothering her ?

Since we know he did not walk away from that house, of course LE are going to look closely at the adults living there. Standard practice, I'd assume.

And given the fact that DCFS had to intervene with this family since Dec. 2018, shows that there was cause for concern on the part of LE.

In an earlier post, I'd thought that DCFS hadn't been doing their job correctly. I apologize !
DCFS has been onto this household since late Dec.

 

[Cubby]

Can someone clarify that the bf of mom *is* aj'so father. I think the words bf, father, husband are all being interchanged for a single person because mom and dad live together but are not married. So, it's just the two and a second adult male is not in the picture?

 

[LietKynes]

One point. Takes more than that. We're talking about a child here. Not teenage car privileges.
MOO.

^^^ Ita.
And not just any child, a 5 year old born with drugs in his system; with whom DCFS had to intervene from his birth.
I was all ready to blame DCFS for AJ's being put back into that home-- but sometimes the parents aren't all that honest about what's going on.
And DCFS cannot be blamed if they're told a different story.

My friend works with the foster care system and people can be evasive.
As in, there are some who struggle to be parents or cannot care for themselves-- but they want the kids regardless.

 

[Simply Southern]

SABBM

Bolded bit : Wow. Sensitive much ?

If your child is 'missing' and is not a runaway or abducted -- you cooperate !
You don't stop speaking to LE.
You ask them --no, you beg them to find your child .

And ask what you can do ! Take a LDT. Give them your phones, your computers/laptops/electronic devices.

If she thinks LE are looking at her as a suspect or a poi (and LE have not said this), is her conscience bothering her ?

Since we know he did not walk away from that house, of course LE are going to look closely at the adults living there. Standard practice, I'd assume.

And given the fact that DCFS had to intervene with this family since Dec. 2018, shows that there was cause for concern on the part of LE.

In an earlier post, I'd thought that DCFS hadn't been doing their job correctly. I apologize !
DCFS has been onto this household since late Dec.

EXACTLY!!!!

 

[Cubby]

In an earlier post, I'd thought that DCFS hadn't been doing their job correctly. I apologize !
DCFS has been onto this household since late Dec.

RSBM.

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. — UPDATE:

The Department of Children and Family Services confirms (snip)

The department's involvement with Freund began with his birth in 2013 and continued through the end of 2018.



DCFS has provided this timeline on Andrew's case:

Timeline:

• 10/16/2013 Investigation into allegation of neglect against mother - INDICATED. Andrew is born with opiates in his system.
• 11/12/2013 DCFS takes Andrew into protective custody.
• 11/14/2013 Andrew is placed in a foster home.
• 6/12/2015 Andrew returns home.
• 4/21/2016 Case is closed.
• 03/21/18 Investigation into allegations of neglect by father and mother – UNFOUNDED. Mother agrees to reenter treatment.
• 12/18/18 Investigation into allegation of abuse and neglect against mother – UNFOUNDED
• 4/18/2019 Younger brother of Andrew is in another home under a DCFS safety plan.

DCFS involved with missing 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy, family

 

[kmartin96]

Can someone clarify that the bf of mom *is* aj'so father. I think the words bf, father, husband are all being interchanged for a single person because mom and dad live together but are not married. So, it's just the two and a second adult male is not in the picture?

This was addressed on the WGN news last night (see link). Reporter clarifies the confusion about mom/dad/bf relationship AT THE 2:54 MARK

States parents are NOT married, in a relationship for 6 years, they DO live together in the home where AJ disappeared from.

DCFS has investigated past abuse, neglect allegations in case of missing boy

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

^^^ Ita.
And not just any child, a 5 year old born with drugs in his system; with whom DCFS had to intervene from his birth.
I was all ready to blame DCFS for AJ's being put back into that home-- but sometimes the parents aren't all that honest about what's going on.
And DCFS cannot be blamed if they're told a different story.

My friend works with the foster care system and people can be evasive.
As in, there are some who struggle to be parents or cannot care for themselves-- but they want the kids regardless.

It's appalling that DCSF takes the word of a mother who's child was born with opiates in his system. Has had several calls about this poor child.
DCSF Had the power to protect him. They had several opportunities to protect,and save him.
I think the only reason the younger brother was removed from the home is becau the public eye is on them,and they know it.
Otherwise I think it would business as usual,and that poor child would still be stuck there.
MOO

 

[Peppery]

Can someone clarify that the bf of mom *is* aj'so father. I think the words bf, father, husband are all being interchanged for a single person because mom and dad live together but are not married. So, it's just the two and a second adult male is not in the picture?

I assume so because both mother and father are named on the property record and have been seen going in and out of the house.