Elijah Vue latest: 'Vehicle of interest' identified as cops piece together its movements on day before he vanished: Mom sent three-year-old to boyfriend's house for week of torture 'boot camp'

A 'vehicle of interest' has been identified in the search for missing three-year-old Elijah Vue whose mother sent him to her boyfriend 'teach him to be a man'.

Vue was last seen on February 20, at a home in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where prosecutors said he was sent to stay with his mother's boyfriend for a 'boot camp' for 'disciplinary reasons' before he disappeared. 

The toddler was said to have been forced to take cold showers, stand for hours on end and endure a dirty diaper. 

He's also said to have been banned from playing with the only one of his toys at Vang's house - a tool kit - during the eight day alleged torture because he was on a 'time out' throughout. 

The boy's mother, Katrina Baur, 31, was formally charged Monday alongside her boyfriend Jesse Vang, 39, in connection with the disappearance.

Now police have identified a car of interest in the search, a beige 1997 four-door Nissan Altima, its number plate starts with 'A' and ends with '0'. 

Police have identified this Nissan Altima as a 'vehicle of interest' in their search for Elijah Vue 

They are looking for any footage of this vehicle's movements between 2pm and 9pm on February 19

Elijah Vue, 3, was last seen on February 20 after he was allegedly sent to his mother's boyfriend's home to learn to 'be a man' 

Police already have the car in their possession, but are asking the public to check surveillance tapes to see if they have any footage of the vehicle's movements between 2pm and 9pm on February 19. 

The time frame suggests they are looking into whether something happened to the boy hours before he was officially reported missing on February 20. 

Authorities did not say who the car belonged to but they did say that Jesse Vang and Katrina Baur are not owners. 

They added: 'Our interest is not with the current owner of the vehicle, only in the camera footage captured on February 19, 2024, between the hours of 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM.'

They also increased the reward for any information leading to the discovery of Elijah or arrest of the person responsible to a total of $25,000.  

A multi-agency manhunt is underway for the missing child.

When Elijah was last seen alive, he was spotted wearing red and green dinosaur shoes - one of which has since been found in the street in the search. 

The discovery of the shoe prompted an escalation in the manhunt, and officials have been pictured combing through a local landfill site. 

Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Friday that Baur had sent Elijah to stay with Vang for disciplinary purposes, and was 'aware of the tactics used and the lack of care provided.' 

Baur told detectives that Vang 'was the enforcer of rules in the relationship', and that was the reason she sent her son to stay with him, reports WBAY. 

Vang's alleged harsh discipline involved forcing Elijah to stand for up to three hours at a time, while he was forced to repeat the phrase 'I'm sorry, Mommy.' 

The boy's mother, Katrina Baur, 31, is facing one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer 

Baur's boyfriend Jesse Vang, 39, (pictured) claimed he was asleep when Elijah vanished, and is facing charges of party-to-a-crime child neglect 

Detectives said that he didn't identify specific incidents that led him to punish the boy, but said that if the boy failed his punishments, he would ask him: 'Do you want the cold water?' 

Vang also reportedly claimed that he didn't know why the boy was afraid of the phrase.

'He’s fine. It’s not like his knees are shaking and about to fall over you know,' he allegedly told detectives. 

In an interview before his arrest, Vang also allegedly said he was trying to make Elijah understand that 'going home is like a privilege for him.' 

After saying the boy was afraid of him, he reportedly changed that to say Elijah 'respects me.' Baur also claimed to have discussed the limits of how far he could discipline the three-year-old, but 'other than that, she is fine with whatever discipline Vang enforces.'

Vang told police he was in a relationship with Baur, and she had been staying with him in recent times. He said she would help take care of Elijah with him for around a month, 'but not continuously.' 

However, LeBre said that Baur wasn't in Two Rivers, located about 30 miles from Green Bay, when Elijah disappeared. 

Baur told police she had left Elijah with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted him to teach her son 'to be a man,' and she had intended to pick him up on Feb. 23, the station reported, citing a criminal complaint.

Vang called police on Feb. 20 and reported Elijah missing, telling police he had taken a nap that morning and brought Elijah in the bedroom with him, but when he awoke some three hours later, he was gone, the complaint states.

A multi-agency manhunt has since been launched for the missing child, which has so far failed find the child seven-days after he was last seen

Manitowoc Police Officer Nick Place and a K-9 dog search for the missing 3-year-old in Two Rivers, Wisconsin 

Vang told police he was in a relationship with Bauer and had been trying to help with her son's bad behavior, according to the complaint.

Katrina is facing one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer, and is being held on a $15,000 cash bond. 

Vang was formally charged with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect. He was being held on a $20,000 cash bond.

Both Baur and Vang both appeared in court last Monday afternoon for their initial court appearances, during which their preliminary hearings were set for March 7, according to court records.

Officials also claimed that Baur lied to investigators about her whereabouts at the time Elijah disappeared on 'at least two occasions.' 

The criminal complaint against Baur states that she denied being in Two Rivers between February 12 and February 20, and denied being in the Manitowoc County area on February 16 or 17. 

However, she later admitted to being in Two Rivers on February 14 and again overnight on February 16.

Court records show public defenders represented both Vang and Baur during Monday's hearing, but that a public defender had not yet been appointed for Vang.