OAN Staff Abril Elfi and Brooke Mallory
5:33 PM – Friday, August 22, 2025
The parents of seven-month-old Emmanuel Haro have now been arrested following a week-long search for the missing boy.
On Friday, Jake and Rebecca Haro were taken into custody by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s homicide detectives at their home in Cabazon, a community in Riverside County near the San Bernardino County border.
Rebecca Haro had initially claimed that Emmanuel was kidnapped outside a Big 5 sporting goods store on August 14th, after she was allegedly “assaulted and knocked unconscious” by an unknown man. She told police that when she regained consciousness, her son was gone.
However, investigators cited numerous inconsistencies in her account, prompting authorities to suspect foul play, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Rebecca was confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview,” the Sheriff’s Department said last weekend. “At this point in the investigation, investigators are unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of Emmanuel.”
Both parents pleaded for their son’s safe return in interviews last week. However, many have accused the two of staging a “performative” display for the media, intending to garner public sympathy and appear more innocent.
“If you know anything, please come forward or take him to the cops,” Rebecca told KTLA as she sported a noticeable black eye. “Please come and bring my son back. I’m begging you.”
Nonetheless, the Sheriff’s office confirmed that the couple has since been arrested and charged with murder.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced that the search for Emmanuel continues, though authorities believe, tragically, he is already deceased. They will be focusing on recovering his remains, a spokesperson noted.
“Arrest warrants were obtained from the Riverside County Superior Court, and on August 22, 2025, detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Homicide Detail and Specialized Enforcement Division arrested Jake and Rebecca Haro at their residence in Cabazon, for PC 187 – Murder,” they stated. “It is believed Emmanuel is deceased, and the search to recover his remains is ongoing.”
The office wrote that both suspects were booked in a Riverside County jail without bail. The release also stated that no other arrests have been made, and no other suspects remain.
“While these arrests mark a significant development, our focus remains on finding Emmanuel,” they wrote.
Sheriff D. Shannon Dicus also stated: “The circumstances surrounding this investigation are tragic, and we will continue to search for Emmanuel. I want to thank members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the community, and media for bringing attention to this case. I trust our justice system will hold the parents accountable.”
Jake Haro, the father of the missing boy, has a history of legal troubles. In 2023, he served six months behind bars for a willful child cruelty charge, in which Emmanuel’s older half-sister was the victim. According to the Orange County Register, the child, whom Jake had with another woman, suffered broken bones in October 2018 when she was just ten weeks old.
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