The disappearance of their 7-month-old baby, Emmanuel, has led to Rebecca and Jake Haro being charged with murder. Officials now affirm that the baby was never taken.
Both were booked in a Riverside County jail without bond, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD), which made the arrest announcement on Friday, August 22. No other suspects have been identified, and no more arrests have been made.
On Thursday, August 14, Rebecca, 32, first reported Emmanuel missing, saying that an assailant had hit her and taken her infant outside a nearby store.
On Friday, August 22, the SBCSD said that several interviews, search warrants, and thorough digital and electronic investigation are among the evidence that shows the purported kidnapping did not take place.
According to the SBCSD, Emmanuel is thought to be dead, and efforts are still being made to find his remains. Although these arrests are a major step forward, our goal is still to locate Emmanuel.
“The circumstances surrounding this investigation are tragic, and we will continue to search for Emmanuel,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus continued. I have faith that the parents will be held responsible by our legal system.
On August 14, Rebecca reported Emmanuel missing, which sparked the investigation. She told KTLA that on that particular day, she and Jake were at a nearby park with their three kids for their son’s football practice. After that, she took Emmanuel with her as she drove to a Big 5 Sporting Goods store to get a mouthguard for him. Rebecca said that when she heard someone say “hola” and then passed out, she was preparing him to shift.
She claimed the baby was gone when she came to. When she spoke to the media, authorities observed that she seemed to have a black eye.
Investigators noticed discrepancies in her story during the course of the next weekend. Rebecca refused to continue the interview after being presented with contradictions in her earlier statement, according to the SBSD’s statement from Sunday, August 17.
After treating a 10-week-old girl for fractured bones in October 2018, Jake was found guilty of child maltreatment in 2023, according to court documents cited by The Orange County Register. In June 2023, he entered a guilty plea to willful child cruelty and was sentenced to 180 days in the sheriff’s work-release program, four years in jail with a four-year suspension, and a requirement to participate in a child abuse treatment program.
According to the Register, Jake was also set to appear in court on September 2 on an unrelated charge of possessing a handgun while a criminal or addict.
