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Authorities in California are still searching for the remains of a missing 7-month-old baby after his parents, who initially claimed the baby had been kidnapped, were arrested for murder.
Emmanuel Haro’s parents, Jake and Rebecca Haro, were were taken into custody on August 22, 2025, after detectives with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office concluded that Rebecca’s kidnapping claims had been a hoax.
“Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement after the arrests. “It is believed Emmanuel is deceased and the search to recover his remains is ongoing.”
What did Rebecca Haro say about baby Emmanuel’s disappearance?
Emmanuel was first reported missing on August 14, 2025 by his mother, Rebecca, who told San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies that she had been standing by her vehicle changing Emmanuel’s diaper outside of a retail store when she was “physically assaulted by an unknown male” and knocked unconscious, according to an earlier statement from the department.
Rebecca added that when she awoke, her baby was gone. Members of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with K-9 units from the department and surrounding Riverside County, quickly launched an “extensive search” of the surrounding area to try to find the missing baby, but were unable to locate him.
Authorities find “inconsistencies” in Rebecca Haro’s story
The sheriff’s office noted that as investigators interviewed Rebecca, they found “inconsistencies with her initial statement” and she declined to continue the interview. Jake later retained an attorney, authorities said.
As the investigation continued, detectives conducted “numerous interviews” and “closely analyzed” digital and electronic evidence in the case, leading them to conclude that Emmanuel had never been kidnapped.
Investigators have yet to provide any further details about what led them to arrest Jake and Rebecca at their Cabazon residence on Friday. Both suspects are currently being held at the Riverside County Jail without bail.
According to the sheriff’s office, “no suspects remain outstanding” in the case and the focus has now turned to trying to recover Emmanuel’s remains.
“The circumstances surrounding this investigation are tragic and we will continue to search for Emmanuel,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement.
He went on to thank the numerous organizations who helped make the arrest possible, including the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
“I trust our justice system will hold the parents accountable,” he concluded.
Jake and Rebecca Haro had begged for help in bringing their son home
Before their arrest, Jake and Rebecca had pleaded with the public for help finding their son.
“Please don’t hurt my son, please protect him,” Rebecca begged, in an apparent plea to an alleged kidnapper, in an interview with FOX 11 Los Angeles. “Please come forward, I’m begging you.”
She later spoke out to the Southern California News Group from behind bars to continue to proclaim her innocence.
“I want to be out looking for my baby,” Rebecca said. “I will not give up. I will not give up on my baby.”
She went on to call Jake a “good dad.”
“He would never hurt a baby,” Rebecca said.
Meanwhile, Jake was spotted Sunday in an orange prison jumpsuit with authorities during a search near Gilman Springs Road in Moreno Valley, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported.
The search failed to produce the baby’s remains.
