Parents of missing baby Emmanuel Haro arrested a week after reported kidnapping

The parents of baby Emmanuel Haro have been arrested on suspicion of murder a week after his mother reported that he had been kidnapped outside an Inland Empire sporting goods store, according to authorities.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Friday morning in an email that both Jake and Rebecca Haro had been arrested, but did not provide information about why they were taken into custody.

In a post on X, the agency said the parents were arrested on suspicion of murder Friday morning at their residence in Cabazon, located about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. The department said it is continuing to search for Emmanuel.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday it is aware of reported sightings of Emmanuel Haro, including in Kern County, but details about the reports and locations were not immediately available.

Earlier this week, a car belonging to the baby’s father was seized by authorities.

NBCLA attempted to contact a family member at the family home, but did not receive a response.

The sheriff’s department issued a statement Wednesday morning in an update on the search.

“We know the community is deeply concerned about this case and we will continue to provide information, to the extent it does not jeopardize the investigation,” the agency said. “Our investigators have followed up on the reported sightings of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, but he has not yet been located.

“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 statement also mentioned a fire reports at a property near the Haros’ home in Cabazon, saying there is no indication the fire is related to the disappearance of Emmanuel.

The car belonging to the father of a missing baby was seized by authorities. Video broadcast Wednesday Aug. 20, 2025 on Today in LA.

The investigation has unfolded over the past week, beginning with the reported kidnapping last Thursday in the parking lot of a Big 5 sporting goods store.

“I took him out of the car seat and laid him on the chair. I had his diapers here, and someone said, ‘Hola.’ I couldn’t turn, and I don’t remember nothing. I got up from the floor and didn’t see my child. Someone took him from me,” mother Rebecca Haro said last week.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Rebecca Haro was “confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview.”

Deputies returned to the family’s Cabazon home Tuesday and appeared to visit neighboring properties. They were seen speaking with the infant’s father, Jake Haro, outside the family’s home Sunday night.

“We start from within the home and we work our way out,” said private investigator Moses Castillo, a former member of the LAPD who investigated crimes against children for 20 years. “So anybody and everybody that had access to this child gets a very thorough interview. They’re very methodical in these type of searches. So you might see that. And they might even set up some special observations and following people that may be involved to see where they go, what they do.”

Authorities are still searching for a seven-month-old baby who went missing in Yucaipa. Lauren Coronado reports for the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on Aug. 18, 2025.

According to law enforcement, Jake Haro was convicted in 2021 for cruelty to a child and in 2024 for being a felon in possession of a handgun.

An arrest warrant was filed for Jake Haro in the child cruelty case in October 2018 involving a baby girl. Authorities responded to his home after the girl was admitted to a hospital with multiple broken bones. According to the court documents, Jake Haro told investigators that he accidentally dropped the girl on a sink as he bathed her. Doctors reported rib and skull fractures, and a brain hemmorage, according to the court documents.

Jake Haro pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment and was sentenced to felony probation for four years and ordered to serve 180 day in jail on a work release program, the Riverside County District Attorney said.

The couple also has a 2-year-old child, who has since been taken into custody by Riverside County Child Protective Services, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Community member gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil for Emmanuel outside the Big 5 sporting goods store in Yucaipa, located about 70 miles east of Los Angeles.

A description of the attacker was not available. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department at 909-387-8313.