Two Rivers Boy Missing – Mother and Boyfriend in Custody

It’s been a sad week in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. An Amber alert was issued for a 3 year old boy on Tuesday Morning and the community has really come together to try and help. Here are the Press Releases from the Two Rivers Police Department. Please read them. We will update them as we can.

ORIGINAL RELEASE FROM: Two Rivers Police Department

We are asking for the public’s help in attempting to locate a missing 3-year-old boy named Elijah.  He was last seen in the 3900 block of Mishicot Rd in Two Rivers at 8am today (2/20/24).  Elijah is described as having Hmong and white ethnicity with dark blonde hair and brown eyes.  He was last seen wearing gray pants, long sleeve dark shirt and red and green dinosaur shoes. He is possibly carrying a red and white plaid blanket as pictured.   If you have any information that would help us locate Elijah please contact us at (920) 686-7200

**UPDATE** February 20, 2024 at 4:00 PM   

The Two Rivers Police Department is continuing to search for a missing 3-year-old boy named Elijah.

This incident was reported to the Manitowoc County Joint Dispatch Center on 02/20/2024 at 10:59 AM. The caller, identified as the adult care taker, stated that Elijah was last seen at approximately 8:00 AM at a residence in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road in the City of Two Rivers.

After receiving the call, officers responded to gather information and assist in searching. Within our original Facebook post and media release, we informed the public that Elijah is described as having Hmong and White ethnicity with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing gray pants, a long sleeve dark shirt and red and green dinosaur shoes. He is possibly carrying a red and white plaid blanket as pictured earlier. Additional information received is that Elijah is approximately 3 feet in height and has a birthmark on his left knee.

Local, state, and federal resources were requested to assist with the search. These resources included, but are not limited to, canine and drone units. Additionally, information was sent out to all media, Facebook, A Child Is Missing, and a Wisconsin AMBER ALERT has been issued.

The Two Rivers Police Department is asking all residents to search any outbuildings, vehicles or any other concealed areas they may have on their property in an attempt to locate Elijah. Additionally, if residents have surveillance cameras or Ring doorbells, we are asking the public to please check them for images of Elijah.

The Two Rivers Police Department has received requests from several individuals to use personal drones and personal canines to assist in searching. At this point, please refrain from the use of drones as it may interfere with law enforcement canine and drone searches.

If anyone has information, please contact the state tip line at 844-267-6648 or utilize the P3 app for anonymous tips.

Thank you for everyone’s cooperation and willingness to assist. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.

Ben Meinnert

Chief of Police

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**UPDATE**

Release Date: February 22, 2024, 7:20 PM

We understand there are a lot of emotions involving the ongoing search for Elijah.  Elijah has not been located and is still missing.  We are working closely with state and federal agencies and we are only releasing information that we are able to without jeopardizing this ongoing and multifaceted investigation.  Some might be frustrated, however everything we do is well thought out and planned in a combined effort with our main priority in locating Elijah.

The press briefing was to give facts and dispel rumors as well as to let you know that factual information will only come from the Two Rivers Police Department.  TRPD will continue to update the community with any facts and information that are able to be shared.  If Elijah is located, we will share that information.

Immediately after receiving the 911 call and based upon the circumstances, Officers began searching for Elijah while we contacted the WI Department of Criminal Investigations, the FBI, A Child is Missing, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we requested a missing and endangered alert, an Amber Alert, a Ring neighborhood alert, used local emergency alerts, contacted all municipal and county agencies for assistance, sent out Facebook requests for public assistance, brought in drones from Manitowoc Police Department and Manitowoc Sheriff’s Office, K9s from Manitowoc Police, Manitowoc Sheriff’s Office and Sheboygan Sheriff’s Office , an air search from WI Army National Guard as well as boats and UTVs from Two Rivers Fire Department and Manitowoc County Sheriff’s office.

We are exploring all possibilities to locate Elijah.  We are into our third day of searches for Elijah and any assistance from the public will aid in our efforts.

Here are some things you can do to assist, even outside of Two Rivers:

• Check anywhere a small child could hide, climb, or fall.

• Check your own property for any items that don’t belong to you which could include anything from Elijah; the red, white and black plaid blanket; or dinosaur printed shoes.

• Check your surveillance systems from February 12th through February 20th.  We usually look back several days from the report to ensure we are thorough. Look for anyone matching Elijah’s description in your surveillance footage.  You can also search public land for the aforementioned items or anything you feel relevant to this investigation.

Please do not touch anything you find, but instead contact the tip line at 1-844-267-6648 or Two Rivers Police Dispatch at: 1-920-686-7200 immediately.

You may have seen officers searching areas such as local rivers and landfills, and that is correct.  We will leave no stone unturned.  You will continue to see similar large-scale searches as we receive tips and continue our search for Elijah. For those of you who have shared information, thank you.  As we learn more information we may recontact you for continued assistance.

We have a very large police presence in our community from local, state and federal authorities.  We have no indication that any other children or individuals in the community are in danger.  Authorities are working around the clock following up on tips and information that would lead us to finding Elijah.  We have some of the best resources in the country that have descended on our community to help locate Elijah.

Jesse Vang and Katrina Baur have been arrested on an allegation of child neglect.  Both Vang and Baur will have bail hearings at 12:45pm on Friday February 23, 2024 at the Manitowoc County Court House.  Due to victim rights we cannot release any further information on these charges.

We will continue to update on the search for Elijah as we are able to do so.  Factual and up to date information will only come from the Two Rivers Police Department via media release, our Facebook page or press conferences.

Thank you to everyone who has assisted in the search for Elijah and continues to search for Elijah as that remains our top priority. Thank you to the Two Rivers community and our local businesses for your cooperation and continued support.

Chief Ben Meinnert

Two Rivers Police Department

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