Sighting Of Missing SoCal Baby Emmanuel Investigated

YUCAIPA, CA — A baby who was reportedly snatched from his mother in the Inland Empire last week has been reported in Kern County, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department told Patch.

The possible baby-snatching case has gripped the Southland in recent days as authorities scour the region for the missing 7-month-old, Emmanuel Haro.

“Investigators were made aware of a possible sighting of Emmanuel in Kern County. Where the sighting took place was not provided,” Officer Mara Rodriguez told Patch.

Emmanuel was reported missing on Aug. 14 by his mother, Rebecca Haro. Haro told authorities she was changing Emmanuel's diaper in the parking lot of a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store in Yucaipa when a strange man attacked her.

The woman said she was knocked unconscious and when she came to, her child was gone, according to a statement from the sheriff's department.

Despite her account of the incident, Haro and her husband, Jake Haro, Emmanuel's father, have not been ruled out as suspects in the kidnapping case.

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

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.

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.

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.

Rodriguez also confirmed that a house fire on the same street as the Haro's home Tuesday night was not linked to the case.

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.

Patch Editor Toni McAllister contributed to this report.