The father of a missing 7-month-old boy arrested on suspicion of murder was seen helping investigators search for the child’s body in a remote field in California’s Moreno Valley on Sunday.
Local news station ABC7 posted video footage showing Jake Haro in an orange prison jumpsuit with sheriff’s deputies and cadaver dogs in an area off the 60 Freeway.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) confirmed that Haro was with detectives during a search for the child’s body. The child, Emmanuel Haro, was not located, the department said.
Newsweek has contacted the sheriff’s department and an attorney for Haro for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Haro, 32, and the child’s mother Rebecca Haro, 41, were arrested on suspicion of murder at their home in Cabazon, California, on Friday.
The arrests came a little over a week after the mother reported to authorities that Emmanuel had been kidnapped outside a store in Yucaipa. However, authorities said they determined the reported kidnapping did not occur and they believe the child is dead.
Meanwhile, the baby’s disappearance prompted a multi‑agency investigation, execution of search warrants, seizure of evidence and community alarm.
What To Know
The sheriff’s department launched an investigation after Rebecca reported her son had been kidnapped outside Big 5 Sporting Goods in Yucaipa on August 14.
The mother had reported to authorities that she was assaulted by an unknown man while changing her son’s diaper outside the store and was left unconscious. She told them that when she awoke, Emmanuel was gone.
She was later “confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement on August 14.
In a statement on Friday, the sheriff’s department said that “based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur. It is believed Emmauel is deceased and the search to recover his remains is ongoing.”
Jake previously served six months in jail after pleading guilty to felony willful child cruelty in 2023 for an incident that occurred in 2018. He was still on probation in relation to that conviction, according to The Orange County Register.
What People Are Saying
Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement on Friday: “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.”
Vincent Hughes, an attorney representing Jake Haro, told CBS News: “There was a conviction for child cruelty, which Jake is not running from. He’s not hiding from his record; it’s publicly available information.”
What Happens Next?
The search for Emmanuel is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the SBCSD at 909‑890‑4904 or submit a tip anonymously by contacting We‑Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or by visiting wetip.com.
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