THE mom accused of killing her seven-month-old son has doubled down on claims that the baby boy was kidnapped after police already shot her story down as a lie.
Rebecca Haro, 41, vehemently denied rumors that she planned to stage the kidnapping days before her son’s disappearance by staking out the California parking lot where she later claimed he was taken.
Rebecca Haro, 41, faces a murder charge in the disappearance of her seven-month-old son, Emmanuel[/caption]
Emmanuel Haro was reported missing by his mom on August 14[/caption]
Police think Emmanuel is dead, and the search for his body persists nearly two weeks after Rebecca reported he was kidnapped by someone who knocked her out in the parking lot of a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa, 10 miles east of San Bernardino.
Eight days after the baby went missing, Rebecca and her husband, Jake Haro, were arrested at their home on suspicion of murdering him.
While Jake, 32, was seen helping police search for the baby off a highway on Sunday, Rebecca opted to stick to her story in a jailhouse interview with Southern California News Group over the weekend.
It comes after widespread speculation that in the days before Rebecca reported the kidnapping, she went to the Big 5 store and told workers that someone had broken into her car.
She then asked employees whether the business had security cameras or not.
The business didn’t have any security cameras in the parking lot — meaning there was no video proof of Rebecca’s claims that Emmanuel was kidnapped.
Rebecca simply shook her head no when asked about her rumored stakeout, SCNG said.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department didn’t respond to The U.S. Sun’s questions about the claims.
‘I WILL NOT GIVE UP’
The mom, who previously had a black eye that she claimed was from the attack, insisted that her kidnapping story was true during the interview at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
“I will not give up. I will not give up on my baby,” Rebecca told the outlet.
She appeared to cry as she added, “I want to be out looking for my baby.”
Rebecca then defended her husband and called him a “good dad.”
“He would never hurt a baby,” Rebecca said.
HORRIFYING RECORD
However, disturbing details about Jake’s criminal history have been revealed after Emmanuel’s disappearance.
Jake was arrested in 2018 and convicted on felony charges of willful child cruelty in June 2023.
The disappearance of Emmanuel Haro
California cops are still searching for Emmanuel Haro. His mom, Rebecca, claimed her seven-month-old son was snatched after being ambushed while changing his diaper. But, she and her husband Jake now face murder charges.
August 14: Emmanuel’s mom, Rebecca, reports him missing. She claimed she was attacked near a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa.
August 15: San Bernardino cops issue a statement, saying the search for Emmanuel is ongoing. They reveal that he has not been found.
August 16: Cops say they cannot rule out foul play.
August 17: Police visit the Haro family home.
August 18: Police say they have conducted extensive searches in the Yucaipa and Cabazon areas. They also reveal that a large amount of surveillance footage has been reviewed.
August 19: San Bernardino cops probe an alleged sighting of Emmanuel. Police have also seized a car belonging to Emmanuel’s dad, Jake.
August 20: Cops say Emmanuel still hasn’t been found. Police also receive they are probing a fire that broke out near the Haro family home.
August 21: One week since Emmanuel was reported missing. Cops search a home in the Cottonwood Avenue area.
August 22: Jake Haro and Rebecca Haro are arrested and charged with murder. Police continue to search for little Emmanuel.
August 24: Jake, wearing prison overalls, joined cops as they searched an area near the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley. Emmanuel still hasn’t been found
August 26: Rebecca and Jake are expected to be arraigned in court.
He was found guilty alongside his then-wife, Vanessa Avina, for causing their daughter, Promise, traumatic injuries.
She was only 10 weeks old at the time.
The young girl, Emmanuel’s half-sister, was “practically killed,” her family told NewsNation.
Jake Haro, 32, faces murder charges in the disappearance of his son Emmanuel[/caption]
San Bernardino police outside Rebecca and Jake Haro’s home on Friday[/caption]
Promise, now seven years old, was left permanently blind, unable to walk or talk, and with only three percent brain function.
She was adopted by Avina’s cousin after being removed from her parents following her hospitalization in 2018.
Jake was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 48 months of probation, court records showed.
He was set to appear in court in early September over an alleged probation violation.
Rebecca and Jake are expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday afternoon.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 800 422 4453 or live chat at https://www.childhelphotline.org/.
If a child or other person is in immediate danger, contact 911 immediately.
