An alleged abduction unravels
Seven-month-old Emmanuel Haro was reported missing on August 14, after his mother told deputies she’d been attacked and knocked unconscious in a parking lot near a Big 5 store in Yucaipa, California. Eight days later, on Friday, August 22, deputies arrested his parents, 41-year-old Rebecca Haro and 32-year-old Jake Haro, on suspicion of murder. Investigators say the kidnapping story was staged, Emmanuel is presumed dead, and the search has shifted to finding his remains.
The arrests unfolded at the family’s Cabazon home, where armored vehicles rammed the front gate before deputies took the couple into custody, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Detectives said they moved quickly after spotting discrepancies in the mother’s account and gathering evidence that undercut the abduction claim.
Rebecca’s original report was stark: an ambush in a parking lot, a blow to the head, a baby gone. But by the time investigators retraced her steps and reviewed her statements, they said the timeline didn’t hold. The Sheriff’s Department now alleges the couple fabricated the story and that Emmanuel likely died before the abduction was ever reported.
“While these arrests mark a significant development, our focus remains on finding Emmanuel,” officials said, adding that ground searches are continuing in multiple locations tied to the case. The department has urged residents and businesses in and around Yucaipa, Cabazon, and Moreno Valley to share any information that could help locate the infant’s remains.
The timeline, the investigation, and the community
Here’s what’s known. On August 14, Rebecca called authorities to report the attack and alleged kidnapping outside a Big 5 in Yucaipa, a city in San Bernardino County. Over the next several days, deputies and detectives worked the case while Rebecca made emotional public pleas for her son’s safe return, including a now-contradicted appeal: “Please, please protect him and bring him forward. I begging you.”
By Thursday, August 21—one day before the arrests—Riverside County sheriff’s deputies responded to a child abuse report at a Moreno Valley home linked to the couple. Separately, court records show Jake pleaded guilty in 2018 to willful cruelty to a child. Those details, now back in the spotlight, deepened the scrutiny on the family as the investigation accelerated.
On Friday, August 22, deputies hit the Cabazon property—just over the county line in Riverside County—using tactical vehicles to breach the gate before arresting both parents. The Sheriff’s Department says the couple is suspected of murder and of staging the kidnapping to mislead investigators and the public. The department has not detailed what evidence led to that conclusion, citing the active investigation.
The case has gripped both counties. By Saturday morning, around 50 people gathered at a memorial near the family’s home in Cabazon. Some had never met the Haros. Others traveled long distances. “It’s not just the community that wants answers,” said Jimmy Williams, a YouTube videographer who flew in from Chesapeake, Virginia. “It’s the whole country that wants answers for this beautiful, little baby.”
When an infant is presumed dead and remains are missing, investigators typically build a “no-body” homicide case through witness statements, digital records, forensics from vehicles and homes, and any trace evidence that points to a timeline of death. Prosecutors across California have brought such cases when remains weren’t immediately recovered, relying on a mosaic of circumstantial and physical evidence that, taken together, can meet the legal burden at trial. The Sheriff’s Department did not say which specific pieces of evidence they have in hand here.
The Haros are due in court next week to be formally advised of the charges. If convicted of murder, they could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors sometimes add counts in cases like this—such as filing a false police report—but officials haven’t announced any additional charges at this stage. Bail and other conditions will be determined after the arraignment and the release of charging documents.
For now, the search for Emmanuel is the priority. Detectives have asked anyone who saw the couple, their vehicles, or anything unusual in recent weeks in Yucaipa, Cabazon, or Moreno Valley to come forward. Home security cameras, dashcams, and trail cameras in those areas could hold key clues, even if the footage seems routine. Small details—unfamiliar cars, late-night activity, changes in trash disposal—can matter in a case like this.
Cabazon, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, sits along Interstate 10 and is a short drive from Yucaipa in neighboring San Bernardino County. That geography has brought in multiple agencies, with San Bernardino County leading the case and Riverside County handling activity inside its borders. The armor-supported entry at the Cabazon home points to how seriously deputies viewed the situation; when the whereabouts of a child are unknown and the risk to officers is unclear, tactical vehicles and a hard breach are standard ways to secure the scene quickly.
The mother’s public appeals in the days after August 14 now loom over the case. Detectives say those pleas were part of a false narrative meant to steer attention away from the truth. That accusation—if proven—will sting for a community that rallied to help. False kidnapping stories can mobilize massive search efforts, strain resources, and fray trust. People brought flowers and prayers because they believed a child was out there and needed them.
At the Cabazon memorial, the tone was solemn. Mourners gathered quietly, some holding candles, others standing in silence. The presence of out-of-state visitors, including online creators, showed how quickly such cases draw national attention in the social media era. The spotlight can help by spreading the word, but it can also flood investigators with rumors. Authorities asked for patience and facts, not speculation.
Two threads now run in parallel: the criminal case against the parents and the search to bring Emmanuel home. Detectives emphasized that tips from the public remain crucial, even after the arrests. Anyone who might have interacted with the Haros around August 14—or noticed sudden changes in their routine—is encouraged to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Both suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The department’s statement makes clear this is far from over. The evidence will surface in filings. The timeline will come into focus. For many who showed up at the memorial, what matters most right now is finding Emmanuel and giving him dignity in the end.
