Emotions were high Wednesday night at the silent vigil in Crystal Lake for 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund.
Several hundred people, including 11-year-old Cesar Guzman, gathered in front of the home where AJ lived. The parents of AJ were charged with his murder after police said they recovered what they believed to be the boy's body.
"It makes me very sad to hear she passed away because of his family," 11-year-old Cesar Guzman said. "They didn’t care for him at all."
Natalie Guzman said she couldn't believe what AJ must have endured.
"It’s heartbreaking because it feels like so many people failed him," she said.
Amanda Dryjansk, calls herself a close family friend.
"Today I didn’t want to believe it," she said. "What was going through his head, he’s 5 he, knows what’s going on. He knew what was going on."
Others held candles, balloons and stuffed animals.
Neighbor Megan Haller had one question on her mind: "Why?"
"I want to make a bill that if you want to give up your kid, even as a teenager, even as a child," she said. "Any age. You should be able to if you cannot take care of your child. No questions asked. Safe haven stop. So this doesn't happen again. Because it’s not OK."
Many wrote messages, but don’t have answers themselves.
They hope for change within the system that they believe let AJ down.
Cathy Husk is one of those who believe more could have been done.
"DCFS had been here 17 times and can you tell me why those children were not taken away ... for every single reason," she said. "It’s not acceptable."
Michael York hired Andrew Freund as his divorce attorney and says he lived in the home briefly with the parents when they met, before AJ was born.
"I wept and I wept," he said. "They did it and I knew they did it ... and I talked to the police about it and I said if you’re suspecting something, you’re right."
