Ground Search For Missing SoCal Baby Suspended

CABAZON, CA — As investigators continue to search for missing 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, who disappeared one week ago, a ground hunt for the infant is on hold until more information arises, authorities and media reports confirm.

"If investigators discover information or receive leads that necessitate a ground search in a specific area, that will be done,” San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Mara Rodriguez confirmed Wednesday. “This remains an active investigation, and investigators are exploring every avenue in an attempt to locate Emmanuel.”

On Thursday morning, spokesperson Gloria Orejel said that the department has no new updates.

Over the last few days, discrepancies have emerged about a few reported sightings of Emmanuel. In one report from Vincent Hughes, attorney of Jake Haro, the boy's father, Hughes said Emmanuel had been spotted in Bakersfield.

Meanwhile, another report that he was seen in Kern County came to the sheriff's department, but Rodriguez said, "Where the sighting took place was not provided."

"Our investigators have followed up on the reported sightings of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, but he has not yet been located," the department wrote in a Wednesday update.

Sheriff's officials have not disclosed why a ground search for the child has been halted, but said they would release information to the public as it becomes available.

"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," officials said.

As the investigation continues, Emmanuel’s parents have still not been ruled out as potential suspects. Inconsistencies in their stories, coupled with the father’s criminal past, have cast suspicion over the couple.

According to the sheriff's department, the agency has not ruled out foul play.

Emmanuel's mother Rebecca Haro, told police she was changing her child's diaper in the parking lot of a Big 5 Sporting Goods when she was knocked unconscious by a stranger, who then took the infant, according to a statement from the sheriff's department.

Some news outlets reported that "cadaver dogs" were used during the search warrant service at the Haros' home, but sheriff's spokesperson Gloria Orejel declined to elaborate. In an email on Tuesday, she said, "The specifics on the type of K9s and what, if anything, was found is not being released at this point in the investigation."

On Tuesday, Jake Haro's vehicle was seized by police, KTLA reported.

And, for reasons that have not been disclosed to the public, a young child at the Haro's family home was removed Sunday by Riverside County Child and Family Services officers, according to Rodriguez.

Rebecca Haro's statement to investigators has been inconsistent, and when confronted with the apparent conflicts, she declined to continue with law enforcement questioning, according to the sheriff's department.

Jake Haro reportedly has a criminal history in Riverside County involving child abuse.

"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," officials said Wednesday.

In 2018, he and his then-partner, Vanessa Haro or Vanessa Avina, were charged in Riverside County with felony child cruelty. He pleaded guilty in 2023 and was later sentenced to four years' probation, with an additional 180 days to be served in jail through the work release program. The court suspended a six-year prison sentence as part of his plea, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

READ MORE: Sighting Of Missing SoCal Baby Emmanuel Investigated

Vanessa pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of child cruelty, a misdemeanor.

In a separate case filed last summer in Riverside County, Jake Haro was charged as a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which violated his probation terms. He is due in court Sept. 2 to answer for those charges, according to the DA's office.

The attorney who represented Jake Haro during the child cruelty case is reportedly working for him again amid the investigation into his son's disappearance. Patch left a message for that attorney, but did not receive an immediate callback.

It's unclear whether Rebecca Haro has obtained an attorney.

An Amber Alert was not activated for Emmanuel because a vehicle and suspect description are required for an alert to be issued, Rodriguez said previously.

Rodriguez also confirmed that a fire that erupted at a home on the same street as the Haro home is not believed to be linked to the family.

Emmanuel is described as about 24 inches tall, weighing about 21 pounds, with brown hair and crossed brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black Nike onesie.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call 911 or the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 909-387-8313. Anonymous tips can be given online or by calling 1-800-782-7463.

"Emmanuel continues to be the main focus of this investigation, and we will continue our efforts to locate him," the sheriff's department said Wednesday.