The search for missing 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro has taken a chilling turn —his father was seen in an orange prison jumpsuit combing through rugged terrain alongside investigators, just days after both parents were charged with their baby’s murder.
Little Emmanuel Haro was first reported missing on August 14, when his mother, Rebecca Haro, 41, told police that around 7 p.m., she pulled into the Big 5 parking lot to pick up a mouthguard for her son. While there, she claimed she was assaulted as she tried to change the baby’s diaper.
“I woke up here on the floor,” she told KTLA, claiming she was ambushed near the Big 5 store in Yucaipa.
Rebecca said that when she regained consciousness, her 7-month-old son was gone.
A massive search
Her story triggered a massive search, but investigators soon found troubling inconsistencies. San Bernardino deputies later announced they could not rule out foul play.
On August 22, after more than a week of searching, Jake and Rebecca were arrested at their Cabazon home and charged with murder.
Police released dramatic footage of the arrest, which came after officers had searched a barn in disrepair, combed through three detached buildings, and seized Xbox consoles, phones, and a car linked to the couple.
Rebecca was seen with a black eye shortly after claiming her son had been taken.
But police now say they don’t believe a kidnapping ever occurred. In the days after the reported abduction, troubling details began to surface. For example, investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the couple had become uncooperative.
Dressed in a prison jumpsuit
Authorities also removed the couple’s 2-year-old child from their care, and records revealed that Jake Haro has a prior felony conviction for willful child cruelty.
The sheriff’s department revealed that multiple search warrants had been served at the family’s home and that “a large amount of surveillance video” was being reviewed. Investigators also seized the Haros’ cell phones.
Two days after the arrest, Jake Haro, 32, — dressed in a prison jumpsuit — joined San Bernardino County deputies in Moreno Valley on Sunday as cadaver dogs searched dry brush and valleys near the 60 Freeway, according to ABC7.
The area is known for its steep canyons and rugged mountains, but no body was found. Police have not explained why they focused on that location.
Blood update
The desperate hunt came after sources revealed disturbing details from inside the Haro family home in Cabazon, California — where investigators reportedly found possible blood under the floorboards and noticed Emmanuel’s clothes and photos had been removed.
Annie Elise, host of the Serialously podcast, told NewsNation that “floorboards that potentially had blood on them were removed,” according to The Sun.
“They were dumping out garbage bins, going through the trash, searching that shed that was also adjacent to the property,” Elise said, describing officers combing through the Haro home.
”And it’s my understanding they also had been removing some floorboards from inside the house that potentially had blood on them.”
These details has not been publicly confirmed by investigators.
Annie Elise also claims that family members hadn’t seen Emmanuel “for around a month”.
Community outrage
The case has gripped Cabazon and surrounding areas, with emotions running high.
Allison Weiner, a senior producer with NewsNation, described the scene outside the family’s home: “These people are walking onto the lawn, they’re walking up to the house, they’re banging on the door. I saw some of that behavior. So basically, this case has generated a lot of emotional people.”
Despite Emmanuel’s disappearance, police never issued an Amber Alert, explaining they lacked information about a potential suspect.
For now, the search for baby Emmanuel continues. What began as a mother’s terrifying kidnapping claim has spiraled into one of the most disturbing child disappearance cases California has seen in years.