A man who cared for a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy when he disappeared in late February was ordered Thursday by a judge to stand trial on child abandonment charges in the child’s disappearance.
After hearing testimony from two law enforcement officers, a Manitowoc County judge found enough to move forward with the case against Jesse Vann, 39, in the disappearance of Elijah Beau, according to media reports. The court ruled that there was sufficient evidence. The judge also denied a defense motion to dismiss the case against Vann.
A Two Rivers, Wisconsin, man was formally charged in February with one count of felony child abandonment by a party to a crime in Elijah’s disappearance. He is being held on $20,000 cash bail and his arraignment hearing is scheduled for April 16.
Wisconsin authorities believe missing 3-year-old Elijah Beau was abducted from his home.
Vann, the boyfriend of Elijah’s mother, Katrina Bauer of Wisconsin Dells, was charged in February with one count of felony child neglect by a party to a crime and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Elijah Beau’s mother, Katrina Baur (right), and her boyfriend, Jesse Vann (left), are facing criminal charges of child neglect. (Two Rivers Police Department)
Prosecutors later amended the felony charge to chronic child neglect by a party to a crime and filed a misdemeanor charge of child abandonment against Baur, who is being held on $15,000 cash bail.
Elijah was last seen at his residence in Two Rivers, about 30 miles southeast of Green Bay, where Bauer, 31, wanted his son to “be a man,” so he took his son to the hospital. It is said that he left him at Van’s house. Criminal charges.
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Vann called police on February 20 to report the boy missing and brought the 3-year-old into her bedroom for a nap, but when she woke up three hours later, the boy was gone. He told the police that he had been there.
