After nearly two weeks of searching, a new update has been released in the disappearance of 3-year-old Elijah Vue, a Wisconsin toddler who vanished after prosecutors say his mother sent him to a home to learn to "become a man."
Authorities in Wisconsin revealed on Monday that a car of interest had been identified in the search for the missing child.
In an update posted on Facebook Monday evening, the Two Rivers Police Department requested that homeowners and businesses review surveillance footage captured between 2 and 9 p.m. on Feb. 19 as they continued to search for Elijah. Police urged residents in the Two Rivers area to review video, as well as those in adjacent counties.
Authorities also said a vehicle of interest was identified and was in the possession of law enforcement. Police released pictures of the car, a 1997 four-door beige Nissan Altima. The vehicle has a Wisconsin license plate that begins with "A" and ends with "0." Authorities haven't provided any additional details on the vehicle or who the owner is.
Elijah was last seen Feb. 20 at a residence in Two Rivers, where prosecutors said his mother had sent him to stay with a man now charged with child neglect. Searches by police and residents have so far not located Elijah.
This past weekend, crews from the Wisconsin National Guard conducted ground searches, while the Department of Natural Resources helped dive teams check near the shorelines of Lake Michigan and Twin River, KARE 11, the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, reported.
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On Tuesday, police will expand their rural search efforts with large-scale operations and assistance from law enforcement from across the state, according to the Two Rivers Police Department.
On Feb. 27, the FBI announced a $15,000 reward for anyone with information leading to Elijah's return and the arrest of whoever may be responsible. Both Elijah's mother, Katrina Baur, and the man Elijah had been staying with, Jesse Vang, were charged with child neglect in relation to the toddler's disappearance.
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Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells was charged in Manitowoc County with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. She was being held on a $15,000 cash bond.
Vang, 39, of Two Rivers, was formally charged with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect. He was being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
Baur and Vang both appeared for their initial court appearances last week, at which time preliminary hearings were set for March 7, according to court records.
Baur told police she had left Elijah with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted him to teach her son “to be a man," and she had intended to pick him up on Feb. 23, court documents revealed.
Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Friday that Baur had sent Elijah to stay with Vang for disciplinary purposes and that Baur wasn’t in Two Rivers, located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Green Bay, when Elijah disappeared.
Vang called police on Feb. 20 and reported Elijah missing, telling police he had taken a nap that morning and brought Elijah in the bedroom with him, but when he awoke about three hours later he was gone, the complaint states.
Vang told police he was in a relationship with Bauer and had been trying to help with her son's bad behaviors, according to the complaint.
Vang explained to authorities that he was trying to correct the toddler's bad behaviors.
He said that Elijah was afraid of him, and the boy was disciplined using "time outs," including being forced to stand for 1-3 hours and requiring him to pray at times, documents stated.
Vang also forced the 3-year-old to take a cold shower and regularly threatened him with cold water for not complying, the criminal compliant stated. Both Baur and Vang maintained that they didn't have anything to do with Elijah's disappearance.
Nearby homeowners and businesses with video footage that might be of interest to police were asked to upload it here.
Anyone with information on Elijah's whereabouts was asked to contact the Two Rivers Police Department at 844-267-6648 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
