Elijah Vue: Missing toddler's grandmother begs mother and her boyfriend to reveal grandson’s whereabouts

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

TWO RIVERS, WISCONSIN: The grandmother of the missing toddler has pleaded with the mother and her boyfriend to bring the child back. Lia Vang also urged everyone to continue looking for her grandson. 

Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang, the couple, are facing charges of felony child neglect. Jesse has a past of drug trafficking and spent three years in prison. He was also imprisoned in 2002 for felony child abuse.

Elijah Vue was last seen around 8 am on Tuesday, February 20, in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road.

What did Elijah Vue's grandmother and aunt say?

Many people are searching for the missing toddler Elijah Vue in different places. According to Dailymail, Lia Vang, Elijah's grandmother, cried while asking imprisoned Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang about Elijah's location during a press conference.

Lia said Elijah was mistreated, made to take cold showers, deprived of his toys, and forced to stand for hours in a full diaper because his mother, Baur, wanted him to be tough.

Baur and Jesse were arrested on child neglect charges soon after.

Lia tearfully asked neighbors to continue helping look for her grandson, saying, “I want everybody to continue to help us look for my grandson, I want my grandson to be home with my family, so I want everybody to continue, don't stop.”

Elijah's aunt Linda Vue described him as a joyful and curious boy, full of life and love, and spoke to him directly, saying if he could hear them, he was deeply missed and loved. She promised they wouldn't stop until he was safely back.

She added that every day without him felt like a piece of their hearts was missing, and they longed to hear his laughter and feel his warmth again.

Officials are keenly searching for Elijah Vue

Police are looking in rivers, woods, and landfill sites to find Elijah, a sandy-haired child who is three feet tall and weighs 45 pounds.

The FBI is offering a $15,000 reward for information that helps find Elijah and Local Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $1,000.

Manitowoc County Sheriff Dan Hartwig cried as he stood with Elijah's grandmother and aunt at the press conference on Tuesday. "Everyone has seen that kid's photo," he said. "It's pulling at everyone's heartstrings. Somebody knows something."

How was Elijah Vue tortured?

Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Baur sent Elijah to stay with Jesse on February 12 for discipline and knew about the treatment he received. 

Baur told detectives that Jesse was in charge of enforcing rules in their relationship, so she sent Elijah to stay with him. Jesse’s harsh discipline included making Elijah stand for up to three hours, repeating the phrase 'I'm sorry, Mommy.' 

Detectives said Jesse didn't specify incidents that led to punishment but threatened Elijah with cold water if he didn't comply. Jesse claimed he didn't understand why Elijah was scared of him. He said Elijah respects him and that going home is a privilege.

A few days before Elijah disappeared, Jesse texted Baur saying he was angry because Elijah had overfilled his diaper, so Jesse gave him a cold shower.

Notably, Baur lied about her whereabouts before Elijah went missing, but officials found the truth through her phone data. She later admitted to being in Two Rivers between February 14 and 16.

Now, Baur is charged with one felony count of child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of obstructing an officer. She is held on a $15,000 cash bond. Jesse is charged with one felony count of child neglect and held on a $20,000 cash bond. 

Both appeared in court for their initial appearances, and their preliminary hearings are set for March 7.