Elijah Vue missing, Wisconsin man pleads not guilty to child neglect
MANITOWOC, Wis. - A man who was caring for a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy when he vanished in late February pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a charge of chronic child neglect.
Jesse Vang, 39, entered the plea during his arraignment in a Manitowoc County court. A judge on April 4 ordered Vang to stand trial on the neglect charge in the disappearance of Elijah Vue.
Vang is being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
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He is the boyfriend of Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur of Wisconsin Dells, who was charged in February with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. She has pled not guilty and is being held on a $15,000 cash bond.
Elijah was last seen at Vang's home in Two Rivers, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Green Bay. Baur had left her son to stay with Vang because she wanted him to teach the youngster "to be a man," according to a criminal complaint.
Vang called police on Feb. 20 and reported the boy missing. He told officers he had taken a nap and brought the 3-year-old in the bedroom with him, but when he awoke three hours later the boy was gone. Regular searches for the child have been conducted and are ongoing.
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Have you seen him?
Authorities said Vue's caregiver last saw him at 8 a.m. at his home on Tuesday, Feb. 20 – near 39th and Mishicot in Two Rivers. He was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a long-sleeved, dark-colored shirt, and red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes.
Vue, who is of Hmong descent, is described as 3 feet tall and 45 pounds with sandy hair and brown eyes. Officials said he has a birthmark on his left knee.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 844-267-6648 or 920-686-7200. You can also submit a tip through the FBI website, or to Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers through the P3 app.
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Rewards offered
Rewards in the search for Vue have risen to a combined $40,000.
The Two Rivers Police Department on Monday, March 11 announced the city has raised $15,000 in reward money through community donations. Donations to that reward fund are still being accepted.
The donation-driven reward is in addition to two other rewards already announced for information in the case. There is an FBI reward of up to $15,000, and a Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers reward of up to $10,000.