Wonder Lake man accused of injuring woman, keeping her in his home ‘against her will’

A Wonder Lake man who has a felony conviction on his record is accused of battering a woman he knows and “kidnapping” her in his home for four days, according to authorities.

Brian Freund, 37, is charged with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony, as well as domestic battery and kidnapping, according to jail records and McHenry County Judge Carl Metz, who presided over Freund’s hearing.

Sentencing on a Class 2 felony carries a prison term up to seven, or 14 years if a defendant is found to be eligible for an extended term, Metz said.

Freund was released Tuesday while he awaits his trial, with conditions including that he have an anger management evaluation.

McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Gregorowicz argued that Freund is dangerous and should be detained, while a defense attorney questioned why the woman waited days to report the alleged incident and said Freund denies all charges.

The prosecutor said that on July 18, the woman made a police report saying that on July 11, she was in Freund’s home when Freund jumped on her back while she was lying on his bed. As she tried to push him off, she fell on the floor where Freund then allegedly struck and kicked her “multiple times,” Gregorowicz said.

She attempted to call 911 and Freund allegedly hung up the phone and told her he would kill her if she went to police, according to the prosecutor. When a 911 operator called back, the woman said it was an accidental call, and after leaving the house and walking to a friend’s house, the woman went to the hospital where she found she had two broken vertebrae, Gregorowicz said.

Freund picked her up from the friend’s house and brought her back to his home where, he allegedly held her “against her will” and did not let her leave for four days, the prosecutor said, adding he only let her leave when his father, with whom he lives, was returning from a trip.

The assistant state’s attorney also cited Freund’s history, including a 2018 conviction for possession with intent to deliver heroin.

Freund “is a serious threat to the community,” Gregorowicz said. This “is textbook obsessive and controlling behavior. [Freund] is someone who will not conform to the norms of society. Even [prison time] did not deter him from violent behavior.”

But Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger questioned why the woman waited days to report the alleged incident and said Freund “absolutely denies kidnapping her and causing her injuries.”

The prosecutor said the woman did not report it immediately because she had a painful back injury and that “the cycle of violence committed against her suggests she was scared” to go to police and report it, Gregorowicz said.

In asking Freund be released with conditions, Giesinger also said Freund turned himself in to police “to answer to these charges.” He also scored low, a four on a scale of one to 10, on a dangerousness evaluation, Giesinger said. He also noted that all of Freund’s past offenses were traffic- and drug-related, not violence.

Metz said the court found evidence Freund committed the detainable act and that the woman was injured and felt threatened by Freund. But based on past decisions under the SAFE-T Act, Metz granted Freund release pretrial with conditions.

Freund was ordered to not leave the state without permission, wear a GPS, abide by a permanent no-contact order with the alleged victim and receive an anger management evaluation within 21 days.

Freund is due in court again Aug. 20.