The car belonging to the convicted criminal father of a missing 7-month-old Southern California boy was seized as evidence by investigators after authorities revealed inconsistencies with the tale of the child’s kidnapping, according to reports and authorities.
Jake Haro’s car was taken in as evidence on Tuesday by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in the missing person’s case of his infant son, Emmanuel Haro, KTLA reported.
Haro and his wife, Rebecca Haro, are believed to be new persons of interest in the case after several inconsistencies were revealed in the story of little Emmanuel’s kidnapping. Rebecca had told police she was attacked by an unknown man who said “hola” and snatched the child while she was changing his diaper in a parking lot in Yucaipa last Thursday.
Search warrants have also been served at the family’s home in Cabazon, including for texts and computers, and cadaver dogs are being used to sniff for signs of the missing boy, the outlet reported.
A large amount of surveillance video is additionally being reviewed “from areas of interest,” the department said.
Jake Haro has served past jail time for child cruelty and is currently on probation for those charges, after he was convicted and jailed in 2023.
He is also facing additional charges for weapons possession, according to court records.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department — which quickly deployed police dogs and helicopters in a desperate search for the infant — revealed Saturday that Rebecca had stopped speaking with authorities after she was confronted with “inconsistencies” in her story.
This prompted the department to issue a chilling update to their search effort Saturday, saying investigators were “unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of Emmanuel.”
As questions about the couple swirled, Uvalde Foundation for Kids — which launched its own search effort and put up a $5,000 reward for information leading to Emmanuel’s safe return — withdrew its team members and called off the reward just a day after announcing it.
Suspicion about the couple’s tale grew further as alarming details emerged about the criminal history of Emmanuel’s father Jake — who just last week pleaded with the alleged kidnapper on ABC7, “We just want him back … Keep him safe, don’t hurt him.”
Haro, 32, served six months in jail for willful child cruelty in 2023 stemming from an October 2018 incident in Hemet, California. The Haros have at least two other children, but it was not immediately clear who the victim was.
He remains on probation from the felony conviction, but he has a hearing next month to determine if a pair of weapons charges he picked up last year will land him back behind bars
Last June, Haro was busted in Banning and slapped with two charges for owning or possessing a firearm and ammunition as a “convicted felon and narcotic addict,” records state. He’s pleaded guilty to both new charges.
Bobby Chacon, an attorney and former FBI official, told KTLA that the use of cadaver dogs may point to a grim conclusion in the case.
“It clearly tells me that they have reason to believe that child is deceased, unfortunately,” Chacon told the outlet. “I think that’s the natural assumption.”
Emmanuel was last seen wearing a black Nike onesie. He is 24 inches tall, weighs about 21 pounds, has brown hair, brown eyes, and is cross-eyed, authorities said.
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