As search continues for missing Two Rivers boy Elijah Vue, his mother, her acquaintance scheduled for court hearing Monday
TWO RIVERS — As the search for 3-year-old Eljiah Vue reaches its seventh day Monday, Elijah's mother and an acquaintance are scheduled for initial appearance hearings in Manitowoc County Circuit Court on child neglect charges.
Elijah Vue's mother, Two Rivers man charged with child neglect
Elijah's mother, Katrina Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells was charged with party-to-a-crime child neglect Friday in Manitowoc County Circuit Court. Jesse Vang, 39, of Two Rivers was charged with child neglect.
In a statement to the court, Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Baur had sent Elijah to stay with Vang for disciplinary purposes. Baur wasn't in Two Rivers when Elijah disappeared.
A $15,000 cash bond was set for Baur, while a $20,000 cash bond was set for Vang.
Sunday's search for Elijah Vue includes rivers
Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said in the latest update from police at 12:05 p.m. Sunday: "Our search efforts continued throughout last night and will continue today on our city rivers. Thank you to the Door County/Sturgeon Bay Dive Team and the Green Bay Dive Team for further assisting last night with the efforts already in place by Wings of Hope and NorthStar.
"We have also resumed our neighborhood canvass and continue to follow up on all leads and tips."
Magee Elementary School in Two Rivers is assisting law enforcement by providing space for the growing investigation team, comprised of the Manitowoc Police Department, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office, Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office and the FBI.
On Saturday, Meinnert said advanced searches of rivers and other waters were under way with a variety of boats, drones and dogs in the area.
Two Rivers Police Department asks for tips in Elijah Vue's disappearance and donations toward search efforts
The police department set up accounts to accept monetary donations aimed at search efforts or a reward. Anyone interested in donating is advised to call the department during regular business hours at 920-793-1191. This includes anyone wishing to provide food.
Anyone with information about Elijah’s whereabouts or the case is advised to call the tipline at 844-267-6648, submit information via the app P3 or call Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers at 920-683-4466. Callers with information leading to the location of Elijah, or arrest of anyone involved in or responsible for his disappearance could become eligible to receive a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.
Elijah Vue has been missing since Feb. 20
News of the disappearance of a 3-year-old boy in Two Rivers first came on Feb. 20. Police said Elijah was last seen at 8 a.m. that day and his caretaker reported him missing to local law enforcement at 10:59 a.m. An Amber Alert, which is an emergency child abduction alert, was issued later Feb. 20 and remains active. A Child is Missing and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were also contacted by the Two Rivers Police Department.
Elijah Vue has dark brown hair and brown eyes and is about 3 feet tall
Police describe Elijah as being of Hmong and white ethnicity with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He's about 3 feet tall and has a birthmark on his left knee. He was last seen wearing gray pants, a dark-colored long-sleeved shirt and a pair of red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may also be carrying a red-and-white plaid blanket.
The public has been assisting in the search for Elijah Vue with police offering tips of where to look
Police have asked for continued assistance from the public in the search for Elijah. They shared the following guidelines for those helping in the search:
Check anywhere a small child could hide, climb or fall.
Check your own property for items that don't belong to you which could include anything from Elijah such as the red-and-white plaid blanket or dinosaur printed shoes.
Check your surveillance systems from Feb. 12 through 20. Look for anyone matching Elijah's description in the surveillance footage.
Search public land for the same items or anything relevant to the investigation.
Do not touch anything you find, but contact the tip line (844-267-6648) or Two Rivers police (920-686-7200) right away.
Search for Elijah Vue has included several agencies and searches by air, water and of landfills
Search efforts have included using police dogs from the Manitowoc Police Department, the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office and the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office, an air search from the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and boats and UTVs from the Two Rivers Fire Department and the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office. Landfills used by garbage collections in Manitowoc County have also been searched. The FBI has also been assisting with the search.
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com. Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Missing Two Rivers boy Elijah Vue: mother, acquaintance due in court
