Crystal Lake Police Release 911 Call From Father Of A.J. Freund When He First Reported Him Missing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The 911 call the father of missing boy A.J. Freund made the morning the 5-year-old was reported missing was released to CBS 2 Tuesday morning.
Freund tells the dispatcher A.J. was put to bed around 9:30 the night before and says he discovered him missing when he went into his room to check in on him the next morning sometime between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. after returning home from an early-morning doctor's appointment.
The call to police was made at 9:04 a.m. Freund tells the operator that he had conducted a thorough search for A.J., including a canvass of the neighborhood, during the roughly 30 minutes the child had been missing.
"I went to the local park, the local gas station down here where we sometimes to take him to buy treats," Freund tells the dispatcher. "I spoke with the assistant principal over there at the school. They haven't seen him or any other child. I have no idea where he would be."
Freund says he checked the entire house before phoning police.
He also tells police all the doors and windows of the home on the 90th block of Dole Avenue in downtown Crystal Lake had been secured the night before.
A.J. has been missing since April 18. His mother JoAnn Cunningham retained a criminal defense attorney and appeared before a judge at the McHenry County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon for a hearing with the Department of Child and Family Services. DCFS took custody of the family's youngest child after A.J. was reported missing.
The judge did not make a decision in court Tuesday but the case is expected back in court Wednesday at 10 a.m. when a guardian to represent the boy's interest in court will be appointed for the child.
There will be another hearing Monday to again decide whether the parents should get custody of the 3-year-old.
Police have been searching Lippold Park and Veterans Acres in Crystal Lake this week.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot went to the two gas stations nearest Andrew's home. At a Mobil, an employee working last Thursday morning into the afternoon did not see Freund come in asking if anyone had seen his son. An employee at the nearby Exxon said the same thing and also said he had been questioned by law enforcement.
"The FBI, they asked me all the questions, 'Did you see this guy?' They showed me the picture of this father and son. I don't know them. I know my regular customer that I have. I am sure. I didn't see him in here," he said.
Tuesday morning into early afternoon sonar teams did grid searches of the water at Veteran Acres Park. Illinois State Police helping by air, guiding those searching on the ground.
Explore the timeline of his disappearance and follow developments in the case here.
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