AJ Freund

Former DCFS worker sentenced for mishandling case of 5-year-old boy beaten to death in his home

“At the end of the day, AJ suffered … society ignored him, DCFS ignored him, Mr. Acosta ignored him”

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A former employee with Illinois' Department of Child and Family Services was sentenced to jail Thursday for mishandling the case of 5-year-old A.J. Freund, who was beaten to death in his Crystal Lake home in 2019.

Lake County Associate Judge George Strickland sentenced Carlos Acosta to 6 months in jail, 30 months probation, 200 hours of community service and ordered him to make a $1,000 dollar donation to the McHenry County Children’s Advocacy Center.

Acosta was found guilty of endangering the life of a child last year in what is believed to be the first successful prosecution of a child welfare worker in Illinois.

Acosta’s former supervisor at DCFS, Andrew Polovin, was found not guilty on all of his charges.

“At the end of the day, AJ suffered … society ignored him,  DCFS ignored him, Mr. Acosta ignored him,” Judge Strickland said.

A victim impact letter written by A.J.’s maternal grandmother was read by one of the prosecutors.

“I am devastated by the loss of my grandson, and will never be the same again,” he said.

Acosta also addressed the court and asked for leniency.

“I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused A.J.’s family,” Acosta said.

A.J. died in April 2019 after being beaten by his mother, JoAnn Cunningham, who is now serving a 35-year sentence in prison for his murder.

A.J.'s father is serving 30 years in prison for covering up the crime. The family's home was later demolished in 2020.

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