A seven-month-old baby is missing after being kidnapped from his mother’s truck as she tried to change his diaper outside a California sporting goods store.
A frantic search is underway from Emmanuel Haro after he was wrenched from his mother Rebecca Haro, who was knocked unconscious during the attack.
Haro was running an errand at a Big 5 retail store in Yucaipa on Thursday when she says a stranger suddenly attacked her from behind as she prepared to change her son’s diaper, according to KTLA 5 News.
When she regained consciousness with a black eye and no memory of what had happened, she quickly realized her infant son was nowhere to be found.
The family is desperately pleading for help in bringing Emmanuel home, as search teams and tracking dogs have yet to uncover any trace of the missing infant.
‘I’m begging you please, if you know anything, I’m begging you please bring him back,’ Haro begged the public, as reported by CBS News.
Haro had been watching her son and stepson at football practice when one of them needed a mouthguard, prompting her to leave the local stadium around 7pm to pick one up – and change Emmanuel’s diaper.
The mom says the last thing she remembers is someone greeting her in Spanish before she was knocked out in the parking lot.
Emmanuel Haro, 7 mos, was kidnapped outside a sporting goods store in Yucaipa, California on Thursday
His mom Rebecca Haro was about to change his diaper when she says a stranger attacked from behind, leaving her unconscious
Police scrambled to the scene (pictured) and have since launched a major manhunt
‘I was going to get the diaper and somebody said, “Hola,”‘ the mother told KTLA News.
‘I don’t remember anything since. I woke up here on the floor and I didn’t see Emmanuel.’
With a fresh black eye, the mother was overcome by a wave of crippling fear as she realized Emmanuel was missing.
‘I checked all around my truck,’ Rebecca told the outlet. ‘And I ran into Big 5, and I asked the lady if she saw a baby or someone with a baby. She said no.’
‘He’s a happy boy,’ she added. ‘He was a healthy baby, he was crawling, he was kicking, he was playing with his toys. Whoever took our son, please give him back.’
Officers with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene just before 8pm, where they brought along additional search tools, including K9 scent-tracking dogs to track either the child or a suspect down.
‘Everybody came,’ Rebecca told KTLA. ‘The dogs, the helicopters.’
Despite exhaustive search efforts, the family remains both confused and fearful, insisting they have no enemies and cannot understand who would want to harm them.
Emmanuel (pictured) is described as weighing approximately 21 pounds, standing about 24 inches tall, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a noticeable cross-eye. He was last seen wearing a black Nike onesie
On Friday evening, friends and family gathered outside the sporting goods store to begin their own search efforts, armed with flyers they had prepared
Rebecca (pictured holding Emmanuel) said a stranger’s voice was the last thing she heard, and a flash of pure white was the final image before she was attacked and knocked unconscious
‘Whoever took my son, please return him,’ Emmanuel’s father, Jake Haro, told the outlet.
‘We just want him back. We won’t do anything to you. Just give us our son. Keep him safe, don’t hurt him, make sure you feed him and change him,’ he added in tears.
Rebecca echoed her husband’s plea, adding: ‘If you know anything, please come forward or take him to the cops. Please come and bring my son back. I’m begging you.’
On Friday evening, friends and family gathered outside the sporting goods store to begin their own search efforts, armed with flyers they had prepared.
Emmanuel is described as weighing approximately 21 pounds, standing about 24 inches tall, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a noticeable cross-eye. He was last seen wearing a black Nike onesie.
Authorities have not released a suspect description, as the case remains under active investigation.
Anyone with information about Emmanuel’s whereabouts or details related to the case is urged to call 911 or contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 909-387-8313.
