David and James VanderLeest (Photos source: Brown County Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Two men arrested in connection with the suspicious death of a 2-year-old boy appeared in court Monday afternoon.
James VanderLeest, 21, had a bond appearance, where a $2 million cash bond was set. He returns to court July 16 for an initial appearance. Recommended charges against him are first-degree reckless homicide, resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of felony bail jumping.
48-year-old David VanderLeest, James’ father, also had a bond appearance, where a $100,000 cash bond was set. He returns to court July 17 for an initial appearance. Recommended charges against him are harboring/aiding a felon and resisting or obstructing an officer.
The father and son were taken into custody on Friday in Florence County, according to investigators.
On June 22, officers were dispatched to a home on the 100 block of Alpine Drive for a boy with life-threatening injuries, according to the Green Bay Police Department.
According to court records, the boy’s mother started driving him to the hospital as officers were responding to the incident.
The boy was airlifted to Children’s of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Police say the toddler died from his injuries two days later.
Court records indicate James VanderLeest is the ex-boyfriend of the boy’s mother. There was a court-ordered no contact between James VanderLeest and the woman due to an open domestic abuse case, but the mother told police she and her son were at the home because her son had a close relationship with VanderLeest’s father, David.
The mother told authorities she left the boy with David VanderLeest to go get a pedicure. She said she received a phone call from David that something was wrong with the boy and returned to find David performing CPR on the boy. However, court records state the woman later told police it was James VanderLeest who was performing CPR on the boy and was unsure where David was located when James was performing CPR.
Deputy District Attorney Wendy Lemkuil said while James VanderLeest claimed the child fell down the stairs, the reports by medical professionals say the injuries were inconsistent with that and had to have been inflicted by the caregiver.
James asked for a lower bond amount. He said the probable cause statement contains “lies.”
He also appeared on pending bail jumping charges, where a $50,000 cash bond was set. He returns to court July 9 for a preliminary hearing on that case.
Lemkuil said David VanderLeest lied to police his role in the death of the toddler, then helped his son flee the area. VanderLeest disputed that account, saying he went to find his son, who was suicidal after the incident. He asked for a signature bond.
A GoFundMe has been setup to help pay for funeral expenses for the young boy.
James VanderLeest has seven open criminal cases against him, according to online court records, including four felony cases and three with domestic abuse enhancers.
David VanderLeest has been in the public eye before. He ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2011 and state Assembly in 2012. He also launched an unsuccessful recall attempt against Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich in 2022.
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