Elijah Vue latest: Extensive rural search involving numerous agencies is conducted Saturday
Officials from Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Calumet counties, as well as various Wisconsin police officers, assisted federal agencies in a search of rural Manitowoc County and surrounding water bodies.
The now-12-day search for missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue continued Saturday with a large and coordinated rural search effort in Manitowoc County, Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said in a statement Saturday.
Elijah has been missing since Feb. 20 despite daily search efforts by local, state and federal law enforcement officers that have included canvassing urban and rural neighborhoods; searching rivers, shores and a landfill in Calumet County; and K-9 teams "checking and rechecking various areas."
In a news release at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Meinnert wrote that firefighters, paramedics and dispatchers from Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Calumet counties, as well as various Wisconsin police officers, assisted the Department of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in "conducting large rural searches of Manitowoc County."
"We will continue those rural searches for Elijah through the weekend," Meinnert said. "Thank you to all the property owners for their cooperation in this effort. We also give thanks to Hope Church for providing a space for today's operation."
According to the release, on Saturday, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also searched the Lake Michigan shoreline, along with the Two Rivers harbor and West Twin River again, with the assistance of the Manitowoc County Dive Team.
"We also searched areas with drones and dogs, and we continue to follow up on all tips and leads reported to the tip line at 844-267-6648 or via the Manitowoc Co. Crime Stoppers P3 app," Meinnert said.
"Please continue your private search efforts for Elijah, while being considerate of other people's private property. We appreciate everyone's concern, dedication and assistance in locating Elijah."
Meinnert provided no further update on the search for Elijah in the March 2 news release.
Friday afternoon, Meinnert said people can support the effort to bring the boy home by displaying blue and green ribbons and lights. In a news release on March 1, Meinnert said Elijah's favorite color is blue, and green is a symbol of hope for the recovery of all missing children.
The FBI has offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to locating Elijah or convicting those responsible for his disappearance, and Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers has offered a $1,000 reward.
Elijah Vue was reported missing on Tuesday, Feb. 20
Police describe Elijah as being of Hmong and white ethnicity with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is approximately 3 feet tall and has a birthmark on his left knee. He was last seen wearing gray pants, a dark-colored, long-sleeve shirt and a pair of red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may also be carrying a red-and-white plaid blanket.
Elijah was reported missing from a Two Rivers apartment building in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road at 10:59 a.m. on Feb. 20. His caretaker and mother's boyfriend, 39-year-old Jesse Vang, said he'd last seen Elijah at 8 a.m. that day.
Vang was taking care of Elijah for a week before the boy went missing. Vang has since been charged in Manitowoc County Circuit Court with felony child neglect in relation to Elijah's disappearance and is being held on $20,000 cash bond at Manitowoc County Jail.
Vang's criminal history includes a number of felony and misdemeanor convictions, dating back to his teenage years. Those convictions include child abuse, bail jumping, disorderly conduct and even a federal drug trafficking charge that resulted in Vang spending three years in prison.
According to a criminal complaint, he and the boy's mother, Katrina B. Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells, were in a relationship, and Baur told police she wanted Vang to teach Elijah "how to be a man."
Baur is being held at Manitowoc County Jail on a $15,000 bond and is suspected of felony child neglect in connection with the disappearance of her son. A request to modify bail was filed Thursday on behalf of Baur, asking to change the cash bail to a personal recognizance bond, which would not require Baur to pay any money, "on the grounds that Ms. Baur is unable to post the cash bail as set."
Police continue to ask for the public's help in locating Elijah Vue
The Two Rivers Police Department has asked the public in Two Rivers and Manitowoc County to check their own property with the following guidelines:
- 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. 12-20. 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 (1-844-267-6648) or Two Rivers police (920-686-7200) right away.
Widespread community search efforts continue for Elijah Vue
Elijah's family, along with hundreds of people from the community, have turned out each day to search public properties.
A coordinated civilian search effort is being organized with the Mikadow Theatre, 1118 Washington St. in Manitowoc, as a base of operations. People coordinating the searches are now at the theater every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will assign volunteers to areas that need to be searched.
People and businesses have also donated food and drinks to the law enforcement officers conducting the search. The Two Rivers police ask that anyone who wishes to donate contact their business line at 920-793-1191 to make arrangements.
Over the past nearly two weeks, the search for Elijah has expanded throughout east-central Wisconsin, including to Wisconsin Dells, where Elijah lived with his mother, and to Fond du Lac, where about 30 people searched Hobbs Woods near Interstate 41 and U.S. 151 on Feb. 29, according to a report by NBC 26 WGBA-TV.
The Fond du Lac search was organized by a local resident after they learned the criminal complaint stated Elijah's mother had dropped Elijah off with Vang in Fond du Lac, which is about 75 miles southwest of Two Rivers.
If you have information that could help the Two Rivers Police Department find Elijah Vue, contact their tipline at 844-267-6648 or submit information via the Crime Stoppers app P3.
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter reporter Brandon Reid contributed to this report.