Possible sighting of missing SoCal baby reported in Kern County, officials say

KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says it's aware of a reported possible sighting of a 7-month-old boy who's been missing for nearly a week.

Emmanuel Haro was reported missing last Thursday evening after his mother, Rebecca Haro, said she was attacked and knocked out in a parking lot near a Big 5 store in Yucaipa. When she regained consciousness, she told investigators her baby was gone and that he had been kidnapped.

The sheriff's department said the potential sighting was reported in Kern County, but no other information was available.

On Tuesday, investigators seized a vehicle belonging to the baby's father, Jake Haro, for evidence amid the investigation. The father has been cooperating with law enforcement and investigators, his attorney said in a statement.

Nearly a week after a 7-month-old boy was reported missing in Yucaipa, investigators seized a vehicle belonging to the baby's father.

Since Emmanuel's disappearance, the boys' parents have come under scrutiny after the sheriff's department said that investigators found "inconsistencies" in the mother's story.

"Rebecca was confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview," the sheriff's department said in a news release Saturday. "At this point in the investigation, investigators are unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of Emmanuel."

Sheriff's officials said investigators interviewed multiple people, including Jake Haro, who pleaded guilty to willful cruelty to a child following a 2018 arrest, according to Riverside County records.

At this point, deputies have not put out a description for a potential suspect.

Over the weekend, detectives also searched the parents' Cabazon home with K-9 units. A fire broke out Tuesday at a house on the same block where the Haros live. Authorities say the fire's proximity to the Haros' residence appears to be a coincidence.

Authorities are continuing their search for Emmanuel and ask anyone with information to contact the sheriff's Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904.