An Orange Jumpsuit-Clad Jake Haro Was Spotted Searching for His Missing Infant Son With Police
"Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur."
Published Aug. 25 2025, 1:06 p.m. ET
Frantic parents pleading for information about their missing child has become an all too familiar image in an age where information is readily available at any time of day. Rebecca and Jake Haro reported their 7-month-old was missing after Rebecca claimed she was assaulted in the parking lot of a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa, Calif.
The incident occurred Aug. 14, 2025, and was immediately followed by teary-eyed Rebecca and Jake begging for information on a local news station. The baby's disappearance kicked off a multi-agency search that included an orange jumpsuit-clad Jake helping to look for his missing son. Did he confess to killing baby Emmanuel? Here's what we know.
Did Jake Haro confess to killing his infant son, Emmanuel Haro?
A little over a week after Emmanuel went missing, Rebecca and Jake were arrested at their home in Cabazon, Calif., reports ABC 7. "Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur," said the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. "The search to recover his remains is ongoing."
Two days after his arrest, ABC 7 filmed footage of Jake wearing an orange jumpsuit, searching the 60 Freeway near Gilman Springs Road.
He was accompanied by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies and cadaver dogs. It was later confirmed to the outlet that Jake was there with investigators. It has not been reported that Jake has confessed to killing his son.
Jake Haro has previously been convicted of child cruelty.
According to KRON4, Riverside County Superior Court records show that in June 2023, Jake was convicted of child cruelty, which is a felony. The abuse occurred in 2018 and resulted in a 180-day jail sentence as well as 48 months of probation. Jake is scheduled to appear in court in September 2025 for allegedly violating his parole.
Jake and Rebecca Haro have been charged with murder. Authorities began focusing on the parents after they noted several inconsistencies in Rebecca's story of the alleged kidnapping. Attorney Vincent S. Hughes, who previously represented Jake in his child cruelty case, told The Los Angeles Times that Rebecca refused to take a polygraph test.
Hughes told the outlet that "no attorney in their right mind would allow that to happen." He went on to say, "No person should ever consent to a lie-detector test when it's not even scientifically proven to be admissible in court."
Before Rebecca and Jake were arrested and charged with murder, Hughes told Fox 11 Los Angeles that the couple was deeply distraught over their missing son, claiming they hadn't eaten or slept since he disappeared.
He went on to accuse law enforcement of not doing enough.