TWO RIVERS, Wis. (AP) – The mother of a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy who disappeared nearly a week ago and the man she lived with were formally charged with child abandonment Monday in connection with the boy’s disappearance. He was indicted.
Elijah Beau was last seen Feb. 20 at a residence in Two Rivers, where prosecutors said his mother had sent him to spend time with a man. Search efforts by police and residents have so far failed to locate Elijah.
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The mother, Katrina Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells, was formally charged Monday in Manitowoc County with one felony count of child neglect by a party to a crime and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing a police officer. She was being held on $15,000 cash bail.
The man Elijah was living with, Jesse Vann, 39, of Two Rivers, was formally charged with one count of felony child abandonment by a party to a crime. He was being held on $20,000 cash bail.
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Mr. Bauer and Mr. Vann both appeared in court Monday afternoon for initial court appearances, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 7, according to court records.
Public defenders represented both Mr. Vann and Mr. Bauer at Monday’s hearing, according to court records, although Mr. Vann had not yet been assigned a public defender.
A phone message was left with Bauer’s public defender Monday afternoon seeking comment on the charges she faces.
Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Friday that Bauer sent Elijah to stay at Vann’s home for disciplinary purposes and that at the time of Elijah’s disappearance Bauer was about 30 miles southeast of Green Bay. He was not in Two Rivers, located 48 kilometers (48 kilometers) away, WBAY-TV said. report.
According to the police station, Bau told police that he left Ilya with Van on February 12th because he wanted his son to teach him how to become a man, and that he planned to pick him up on February 23rd. The criminal complaint said he told police that he had done so.
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According to the complaint, Vann called police on February 20 to report Elijah missing, and that morning he took a nap and brought Elijah into his bedroom, but when he woke up about three hours later, he found Elijah missing. He reportedly told police that Elijah was missing.
Vann told police she was in a relationship with Bauer and was trying to help her son with his bad behavior, according to the complaint.
