Missing 7-month-old California baby believed to be dead

Emmanuel Haro, a 7-month-old baby who was reported missing in Yucaipa, is believed to be dead and authorities are now working to recover his remains.

The boy’s parents, Rebecca Haro, 41, and Jake Haro, 32, were arrested Friday morning on suspicion of murder after a widely-publicized search for their son.

On Aug. 14, Rebecca told authorities she had left her husband and their two other children at a local park for their son’s football practice. 

She drove over to a Big 5 Sporting Goods store on the 34000 block of Yucaipa Boulevard to buy a mouthguard for her older son. She brought baby Emmanuel along with her.

While changing Emmanuel’s diaper in her car, she claimed a stranger suddenly attacked her and took the baby. She reportedly woke up with a black eye and her baby was nowhere to be found.

“I was going to get the diaper and somebody said, ‘Hola,’ and I don’t remember anything since,” she said. “I woke up here on the floor and I didn’t see Emmanuel.” 

As the search continued, investigators said they confronted Rebecca about inconsistencies in her initial statement, after which she declined to continue speaking with detectives. 

The child’s grandmother, who believes the couple is innocent, said investigators asked Rebecca to take a lie detector test, but that her husband Jake refused the request until they had a lawyer present.  

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department later said it could not rule out foul play in Emmanuel’s disappearance.

Detectives began focusing on the parents and search warrants were executed at their Cabazon home where cadaver dogs searched the property for any sign of the missing baby. Jake’s vehicle was eventually taken as evidence.

Authorities also combed through nearby surveillance video along with digital and electronic evidence, including text messages, computers and other forms of communication. On Aug. 20, deputies were alerted to a possible sighting of the baby in Kern County, but the baby was not found.

“Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur,” authorities said on Friday. “It is believed Emmanuel is deceased and the search to recover his remains is ongoing.”

On Aug. 22, Rebecca and Jake were arrested on suspicion of murder and booked into a Riverside County jail without bail. Social workers had also removed a 2-year-old child from the couple's home.

Riverside County Court records show that Jake was convicted of willful child cruelty in June 2023 in connection with a 2018 arrest in Hemet. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 48 months of probation and was scheduled to appear in court in early September for an alleged probation violation.  

Jake has since obtained an attorney. "While Emmanuel’s father has retained an attorney, if the parents choose to work with detectives, we welcome their cooperation as we continue efforts to locate Emmanuel," the Sheriff's Department said.

The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, which was originally offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Emmanuel's recovery, later canceled its search due to concerns about the "inconsistencies in the details and the sudden decision by the mother to end communication with law enforcement and our team."

“The circumstances surrounding this investigation are tragic and we will continue to search for Emmanuel,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. “I want to thank members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the community, and media for bringing attention to this case. I trust our justice system will hold the parents accountable.” 

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call SBSD’s Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904.  Anonymous tips can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or online at wetip.com.