Mother of missing Wisconsin boy, man her son was staying with charged with child neglect
TWO RIVERS, Wisconsin — The mother of a three-year-old Wisconsin boy who disappeared nearly a week ago and a man her son was staying with were formally charged Monday with child neglect in connection with the boy’s disappearance.
Elijah Vue was last seen on Feb. 20 at a home in Two Rivers, where prosecutors said his mother sent him to stay with the man. Searches by police and residents have so far not found Elijah.
His mother, Katrina Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells, was formally charged Monday in Manitowoc County with one felony count of neglect of a child in the commission of a crime and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. She was held on a $15,000 bond.
The man Elijah was staying with, Jesse Vang, 39, of Two Rivers, was formally charged with one felony count of child neglect. He was held on a $20,000 bond.
Both Baur and Vang both appeared in court Monday afternoon for their initial court appearances, with their preliminary hearings set for March 7, according to court records.
Court records show that public defenders represented both Vang and Baur at Monday’s hearing, but a public defender had not yet been appointed for Vang.
A telephone message was left Monday afternoon for Baur’s public defender seeking comment on the charges against her.
Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Friday that Baur sent Elijah to stay with Vang for disciplinary purposes and that Baur was not in Two Rivers, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Green Bay, when Elijah disappeared, WBAY-TV reported.
Baur told police that she left Elijah with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted him to teach her son “how to be a man,” and that she planned to pick him up on Feb. 23, the station reported, citing to a criminal complaint.
Vang called police on February 20 and reported Elia missing. He told police he took a nap that morning and took Elijah into the bedroom, but when he woke up about three hours later, he was gone, the complaint said.
Vang told police he was in a relationship with Bauer and had tried to help with her son’s bad behavior, the complaint said.