Mother arrested after she allegedly sent her missing 3-year-old son to a man for 'disciplinary reasons'

The authorities and others in the community are searching for a 3-year-old boy who has been reported missing in Wisconsin. Elijah Vue was last seen on February 20, according to the Kansas City Star.

Katrina Baur — Elijah's mother — has been arrested and faces a charge of party to a crime of child neglect. The authorities claim that Baur sent her son to a man named Jesse Vang so that he could use disciplinary "tactics" on the child. Vang has also been arrested and has been accused of child neglect.

Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said the mother "intentionally sent that child for disciplinary reasons for [more] than a week to the residence. She was aware of the tactics used and the lack of care provided. This was an intentional thing by her.”

The 3-year-old was reported missing by his caretaker on February 20. He was last seen at 8:00 a.m., and the police were contacted at 10:59 a.m.

As of February 24, Elijah had still not been located. The authorities took to Facebook to update the community: “Elijah has not been located. We are aware of at least one fake video circulating social media that shows the recovery of a minor by officers."

"We are aware of numerous coordinated citizen search efforts all over Manitowoc County. Thank you for those continued efforts. Please continue to respect other’s private property and be cautious when conducting those searches as your safety is important," the post continued.

"We appreciate everyone’s joint concern and dedication in locating Elijah. We continue to work day and night following up on all tips and leads. Thank you to Two Rivers School District for allowing us to utilize Magee Elementary School to accommodate our expanding operational needs. No students or incidents at that school are under investigation, nor are any others endangered."

"With the assistance of Wings of Hope and NorthStar, advanced searches of our rivers and other waters are underway with a variety of boats, drones, and dogs in the area. You may also see extensive teams of officers and agents out on foot speaking with people door to door."

The community has been asked to search anywhere that a child could hide, fall, or climb to. The area also held a candlelight vigil for Elijah on Wednesday at a local Catholic parish in Two Rivers, according to the Herald Times Reporter.

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