Man accused of abducting Wisconsin teen bound over for trial

Man accused of abducting WI teen in court

The man accused of kidnapping a Beaver Dam teen was bound over for trial on Thursday. Court filings said he is the father of the pregnant teen's unborn child.

BEAVER DAM, Wis. - The man accused of kidnapping a pregnant teen from Beaver Dam was bound over for trial on Thursday, May 1.

Amber Alert

The backstory:

Prosecutors charged 40-year-old Gary Day with abducting the teen, prompting an Amber Alert in multiple states that lasted for months. Court filings said he is the father of the teen's unborn child.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

The search for the teen stretched across state lines. She was eventually found at a Nebraska gas station on her 17th birthday last month. 

Images tied to search for Gary Day

Gary Day in court

What they're saying:

Day is charged with two counts of abducting a child and two counts of child enticement.

"There are some dots that need to be connected," said Judge Joseph Sciascia.

A Beaver Dam police detective assigned to the case testified during Thursday's hearing.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"Became involved probably end of January when it appeared communications had been reinitiated by the defendant," Det. Daniel Kuhnz.

Prosecutors said Day was already under investigation for crimes against children at the time of the kidnapping. Day's attorney argued the state did not establish probable cause for charges against him.

"Two charges that Mr. Day is charged with here require more than just transporting someone without the consent of their parent," said Attorney Jacob Van Kerkvoorde.

Beaver Dam Police Department

The judge ultimately sided with the state, finding probable cause. Day was then bound over for trial.

What's next:

Day is due back in court for an arraignment in June.

Editor's note: In past stories, FOX6 News named the missing teenager and showed her picture because there was an Amber Alert. Police and the public were trying to find her and bring her to safety. Now, she's been found and identified as a crime victim. At this point, FOX6 will no longer use her name and photo to protect her privacy.