The grandmother and other family members of a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy who vanished after his mom sent him to her boyfriend’s home for “disciplinary reasons” made a tearful plea for help in locating him after the two were charged with child neglect.
Elijah Vue was last seen by an adult caregiver about 8 a.m. Feb. 20 at a residence in Two Rivers, police said.
His mom Katrina Baur and her boyfriend Jesse Vang have both been arrested on suspicion of child neglect.
Elijah’s grandmother Lia Vang urged the Two Rivers community not to give up.
“I want my grandson to be home with my family,” Vang said tearfully at a news conference earlier this week, NBC 26 reported. “So, I want everybody to continue. Don’t stop searching for my baby, Elijah.”
“We cannot express the depth of our sorrow, nor the desperation that consumes us as each moment passes without news of Elijah’s safety,” his aunt Linda Vue told reporters, Fox 11 reported.
“Every day without him feels like a piece of our hearts is missing. We long to hear his laughter, to witness his curiosity and to feel the warmth of his embrace,” she said. “The emptiness left in his absence is a void that cannot be filled by anything else.”
“If you can hear us, know that you are deeply missed and loved and we will not rest until you are safely back in our arms,’ the aunt added.
Elijah’s uncle Orson Vue said the family will fight hard to find him.
The boy’s frantic family struggled to find words to describe their pain, saying Elijah is a joyful, curious child who is full of life and love.
“It breaks my heart when I think about it. But, when we come together and put a plan in place, we go through with it,” he told NBC 26 during a search across parks and forests in Manitowoc County.
“It does give us a little peace of mind in that sense — that we are putting a lot of effort into finding Elijah,” he added. “It hurts… and it’s hard. It’s hard to face sometimes. He’s not here and we do not know where he is.”
Jesse Vang, 39, called 911 around 11 a.m. Feb. 20 to report that Elijah went missing while he was babysitting him, Fox 59 reported, citing a criminal complaint.
He reportedly said he had been trying to help Elijah’s mom correct the child’s “bad behaviors.”
On the day the boy went missing, Vang said he got his own son ready for school and saw Elijah still sleeping, Fox 59 reported.
After the two of them had breakfast later, Vang went back sleep and when he woke up Elijah was missing, the boyfriend told authorities.
Baur, 31, who lives in Wisconsin Dells, said her son had been in the care of Vang for about a week, adding that he is the “enforcer of rules” in the relationship.
Some of the disciplinary measures included praying, saying he was sorry and memorizing rules of conduct, Fox 59 reported.
The mom reportedly told cops she wanted her boyfriend to teach Elijah how to “be a man.”
Vang told investigators that the time the boy spent with him was meant to be a form of “boot camp,” according to the complaint.
“He gets pretty tired from… I guess like from standing, too,” Vang told police, describing hours-long standing timeouts.
When Elijah tried to sit down, Vang would ask him if he wanted “cold water,” according to the complaint, which says he gave the boy cold showers as a form of punishment.
Baur was charged Monday with one felony count of party-to-a-crime of child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer.
She was being held on a $15,000 cash bond.
Vang was charged with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and was being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
At the time of his arrest, Vang also was under federal supervision on unrelated charges.
His lengthy rap sheet includes previous charges for aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and child abuse, Spectrum News reported.
“(Baur) intentionally sent that child for disciplinary reasons for more than a week to the residence. She was aware of the tactics used and the lack of care provided,” Manitowoc County DA Jacalyn LaBre said at a bond hearing Feb. 23, KTVL reported.
“This was an intentional thing by her. And, on at least two occasions, during the interviews she has provided false information on her whereabouts during the past week,” she added.
Baur has requested her $15,000 cash bond be modified to allow her to be released on her own recognizance, Fox 11 reported. She argued that she has been unable to pay the bond.
A hearing on the matter hasn’t been scheduled.
Meanwhile, the owner of Ross Auto Service in Two Rivers shared images with the outlet of Elijah in his shop with Jesse on Feb. 16 — four days before he was reported missing.
He said there was nothing unusual about the visit, and that when he learned about the child going missing he immediately shared everything he had with police.
Elijah is 3 feet tall, has dark blond hair and brown eyes, and weighs about 45 pounds.
He has a birthmark on his left knee.
An Amber Alert remains in effect and anyone with information is urged to call 1-844-267-6648.
