MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) — A man who was caring for a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy when he vanished in late Februar y pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a charge of chronic child neglect.
Jesse Vang, 39, entered the plea during his arraignment in a Manitowoc County court. A judge on April 4 ordered Vang to stand trial on the neglect charge in the disappearance of Elijah Vue.
Vang is being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
He is the boyfriend of Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur of Wisconsin Dells, who was charged in February with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. She has pled not guilty and is being held on a $15,000 cash bond.
Elijah was last seen at Vang's home in Two Rivers, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Green Bay. Baur had left her son to stay with Vang because she wanted him to teach the youngster “to be a man,” according to a criminal complaint.
Vang called police on Feb. 20 and reported the boy missing. He told officers he had taken a nap and brought the 3-year-old in the bedroom with him, but when he awoke three hours later the boy was gone. Regular searches for the child have been conducted and are ongoing.
FILE - Manitowoc Police Officer Nick Place and K-9 dog Riley search for missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue along Bellevue Place near 43rd Street, Feb. 20, 2024, in Two Rivers, Wis. A man who was caring for the Wisconsin boy when he vanished in late February pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, April 16, to a charge of chronic child neglect. Jesse Vang entered the plea during his arraignment in a Manitowoc County court. A judge on April 4 ordered Vang to stand trial on the neglect charge in the disappearance of Elijah. (Gary C. Klein/The Sheboygan Press via AP, File)
Wisconsin man pleads not guilty to neglect in disappearance of boy
FILE - A woman leaves the Mikadow Theatre after attending a meeting for people volunteering in the search for missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue, Feb. 27, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis. A man who was caring for the Wisconsin boy when he vanished in late February pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, April 16, to a charge of chronic child neglect. Jesse Vang entered the plea during his arraignment in a Manitowoc County court. A judge on April 4 ordered Vang to stand trial on the neglect charge in the disappearance of Elijah. (Gary C. Klein/The Sheboygan Press via AP, File)
Wisconsin man pleads not guilty to neglect in disappearance of boy
PHOENIX (AP) — Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages both hit two-run doubles in a big fifth inning, Will Smith added a solo homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 on Monday night.
Los Angeles finished the game without striking out once — the first time that has happened for the franchise since 2006.
“I just like the way that we're getting hits and not just going for slug,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I always use the golf analogy: Our guys are using different clubs. You have to in baseball.”
Pages finished with three RBIs, the second time he had that many in 12 career games. The 23-year-old rookie pushed his hitting streak to seven games and is batting .298 with an .846 OPS since his big league debut on April 16.
“I'm playing against the best players in the world, but they make mistakes, too,” Pages said through a translator. “You try to do the best you can.”
Shohei Ohtani had two singles, a walk and an RBI for the Dodgers, who have won seven of their past eight.
The D-backs have dropped four of five.
The Dodgers led 2-1 in the fifth when Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Smith all drew one-out walks Andrew Saalfrank. Hernández followed with a rocket into the right-center gap that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, scoring two runs.
Three batters later, Pages made it 6-1 with a hard-hit ball down the third base line off Scott McGough that scored Smith and Hernandez.
“Just trying to do the best I can,” Pages said. “Obviously, look for pitches I can handle, look for pitches in the zone."
It was the first time the D-backs and Dodgers played each other since Arizona swept a three-game National League Division Series against Los Angeles last season. The series win was part of the the D-backs’ surprising playoff run to the World Series.
Arizona cut the margin to 6-4 in the fifth. Eugenio Suárez had an RBI single, Randal Grichuk hit a sacrifice fly and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. came home on a wild pitch.
But Smith put the Dodgers up 7-4 in the sixth after clobbering a home run to dead center, high off the batter's eye above the wall.
“We didn’t throw the ball that well today and that was the difference in the game,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.
Dodgers lefty James Paxton (3-0) gave up four runs and six hits over five innings. He struggled with his control, walking five and striking out four.
Los Angeles pulled ahead 2-1 in the second on Kiké Hernández's RBI double and Pages' sacrifice fly. Ohtani had the chance to do more damage — coming to the plate with the bases loaded and one out — but grounded into a double play.
Arizona left-hander Tommy Henry (1-2) gave up two runs and five hits and two walks over four innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Ryan Brasier strained his right calf during pregame warmups Monday and will go on the injured list.
UP NEXT
The Diamondbacks send LHP Jordan Montgomery (1-1, 2.77 ERA) to the mound Tuesday night, while the Dodgers counter with RHP Landon Knack (1-1, 3.27 ERA).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) high fives teammates after scoring on a ground rule double hit by Teoscar Hernández during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Arizona Diamondbacks third base Eugenio Suárez connects for an RBI base hit during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani flips his bat during his at-bat during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Randal Grichuk runs on his base hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) helps Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker up after Walker was forced out on a double play hit by Eugenio Suárez during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher James Paxton throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy (13) scores on a sacrifice fly hit by Andy Pages during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) forces out Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker as he turns a double play on Eugenio Suárez during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
