Emmanuel Haro’s mother Rebecca Haro is maintaining her innocence.
Days after the missing 7-month old’s mom and father Jake Haro were arrested Aug. 22 on suspicion of murder, Rebecca issued a statement from jail, maintaining her belief that her baby was kidnapped.
“I will not give up,” Rebecca, 41, told a reporter from the Southern California News Group, per its publication the Press-Enterprise. “I will not give up on my baby.”
She later added, “I want to be out looking for my baby.”
The case of Emmanuel’s disappearance has gripped the nation since Rebecca reported that her son had been kidnapped in the parking lot of a Big 5 sports goods store in Yucaipa, Calif., Aug. 14.
“I was gonna get the diaper and somebody said, 'Hola.' And I didn’t see nothing since," Rebecca told KTLA 5 Aug. 15, alleging she was knocked unconscious and subsequently came to with a significant black eye. “I woke up right here on the floor, and I didn’t see Emmanuel.”
In the days following Rebecca’s initial report, however, authorities found what they believe to be inconsistencies in her story and charged Rebecca and Jake with murder as the search for Emmanuel’s remains continues.
“Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff wrote in an Aug. 23 Instagram post. “It is believed Emmauel is deceased and the search to recover his remains is ongoing.”
The following day, the authorities were joined by Jake, 32, during a search for the baby’s body.
“Investigators were assisted by cadaver dogs,” the county sheriff wrote in an Instagram post. “Jake Haro was at the location with detectives.”
Jake—who also shares another 2-year-old daughter with Rebecca—was previously convicted of an intentional child cruelty charge in June 2023, according to court records obtained by USA Today. However, Rebecca has slammed the idea that he was involved in Emmanuel’s disappearance.
“He is a good dad,” Rebecca told the Southern California News Group Aug. 24. “He would never hurt a baby.”
For more mysterious disappearances, keep reading…
JonBenét Ramsey
The 6-year-old pageant star was brutally murdered at her Colorado home on Christmas 1996. Her parents, brother and more have all been suspects, but to this day no one really knows who killed JonBenét.
Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman
O.J. Simpson, who died in April 2024 after a battle with cancer, was found guilty in a civil trial of both 1994 murders, but in the criminal trial, the jury acquitted him. Technically, in the eyes of the law, the famous NFL player didn't do it, so their murderer remains unknown (and perhaps at large).
Tupac Shakur
Depending on whom you ask, someone might say Tupac is still alive. But the "Changes" rapper was murdered in 1996, and the investigation is still unsolved.
Notorious B.I.G.
About a year and a half after Tupac, Biggie Smalls was shot four times in a drive-by shooting. His killer still remains unknown.
Caylee Anthony
Casey Anthony, Caylee's mother, went through a highly publicized trial only to be found not guilty of her daughter's murder. As a result, it's still unknown who murdered this little girl.
Elizabeth Short a.k.a. The Black Dahlia
Short, who was murdered in 1947, and the mystery surrounding her death became an instant media sensation. She received "The Black Dahlia" moniker posthumously, but to this day, her killer remains unknown.
Andrew Borden & Abby Borden
This couple was brutally murdered with an axe in 1892, but it was their daughter, Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted for the crime. The deaths of Andrew Borden and Abby Borden were never solved.
Jack the Ripper
In 1888, an unknown serial killer hit the streets of London. More than 100 years later, the identity of Jack the Ripper remains unknown.
The Chicago Tylenol Murders
These murders were a series of poisoning deaths resulting from drug tampering in Chicago in 1982. The victims, who included children, had all taken Tylenol-branded acetaminophen capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide. A total of seven people died in the original poisonings, with several more deaths in subsequent copycat crimes. The person responsible is still unknown.
The Zodiac Killer
He was a serial killer who acted in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but his identity still remains unknown. The killer originated the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press. These letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers). Of the four cryptograms sent, only one has been definitively solved.