The desperate search for a 7-month-old Southern California boy who was reported kidnapped has taken an even darker turn after cops said the baby’s mother had “inconsistencies” in her story and then stopped talking to detectives, authorities said.
Rebecca Haro made public pleas for son Emmanuel’s return after she claimed a strange man attacked her, knocking her unconscious and snatching the infant while she was changing his diaper in the family car outside a sporting goods store in Yucaipa in San Bernardino County, around 70 miles east of Los Angeles.
Rebecca and Jake Haro told ABC7 their missing son, Emmanuel, was a “happy boy” and pleaded for his safe return. However, authorities now say Rebecca’s story had “inconsistencies.” KTLA“I was going to get the diaper and somebody said, ‘Hola,’ and I don’t remember anything since,” she recalled to KTLA in an interview, sporting a black eye. “I woke up here on the floor and I didn’t see Emmanuel.”
What you need to know about the disappearance of Emmanuel Haro:
- Parents Jake and Rebecca Haro were arrested on Aug. 22 on murder charges a week after their 7-month-old son Emmanuel went missing in Cabazon, Calif.
- The mother previously claimed their baby boy was abducted after a man attacked her outside of a sporting goods store in Yucaipa on Aug. 14 — but police said there were inconsistencies with her story.
- Jake Haro’s car was seized by police days later for evidence as the search continued for Emmanuel. The father previously served a prison sentence for child cruelty stemming from an incident in 2018 and is currently on probation.
- Police officers stormed into the Haros’ house and arrested them after determining there was no abduction. “It is believed Emmanuel is deceased, and the search to recover his remains is ongoing,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
- Jake Haro was seen in an orange prison jumpsuit assisting police officers in the search for Emmanuel’s remains off of a highway in Moreno Valley, Calif. on Aug. 24.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded and searched for the infant, sending K-9 units to help track down the boy.
Emmanuel Haro was described as 21 pounds and 24 inches tall, cross-eyed with brown hair and eyes. San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department“Whoever took my son, please return him,” the boy’s father, Jake, told ABC7. “We just want him back. We won’t do anything to you. Just give us our son. Keep him safe, don’t hurt him, make sure you feed him and change him.”
But on Saturday morning, the sheriff’s department issued a stunning update that while the search continued, “investigators are unable to rule out foul play” in Emmanuel’s disappearance owing to “inconsistencies” in Rebecca’s story.
“Investigators interviewed multiple individuals, including Emmanuel’s parents Jake and Rebecca Haro. During those interviews, Rebecca was confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview,” the department said in a statement Saturday morning.
Authorities describe Emmanuel as 21 pounds and approximately 24 inches tall with brown hair, brown eyes and cross-eyed, last seen wearing a black Nike onesie.
Anyone with information about the infant’s whereabouts is being urged to call San Bernardino Sheriff’s Dispatch at 909-387-8313.
The sheriff’s department did not return an email from The Post on Sunday seeking clarification about Rebecca Haro’s alleged inconsistencies.
