Police find ‘inconsistencies’ after mom says 7-month-old boy was kidnapped outside California store

Authorities searching for a 7-month-old boy who was reportedly kidnapped outside a California store said that his mother has provided inconsistent statements and that foul play cannot be ruled out.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies began looking for Emmanuel Haro on Thursday night after his mother, Rebecca Haro, said he was kidnapped outside Big 5 Sporting Goods in Yucaipa.

She told investigators she was outside her vehicle, changing Emmanuel’s diaper, when an unknown man assaulted her and knocked her unconscious, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

She told authorities that when she woke up, her son was gone.

Haro told KTLA-TV of Los Angeles that all she remembers is hearing a stranger’s voice before the alleged attack.

“I was going to get the diaper and somebody said, ‘Hola.’ I don’t remember anything since,” said Haro, who had a black eye. “I woke up right here on the floor, and I didn’t see Emmanuel.”

The boy’s father, Jake Haro, begged for answers.

“He’s just a baby. Just give our son back, please,” he told KTLA.

Rebecca Haro’s mother said the couple did nothing wrong.

“They’re not going to hurt that baby,” she told the station. “She’s just going crazy, she can’t handle it anymore.”

The sheriff’s office said that investigators used scent-tracking dogs but that the search was unsuccessful. Authorities also do not have any information on the alleged kidnapper.

The boy’s family declined to comment to NBC News on Monday.

In an update, the sheriff’s office said that it had interviewed multiple relatives and that Rebecca Haro “was confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview.”

“Investigators are unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of Emmanuel,” the sheriff’s office said. “Investigators will continue their investigation to locate Emmanuel Haro.”

Amid the investigation, child services in Riverside County removed a child from the Haros’ home, according to the sheriff’s office. It’s not clear why the child was removed.

The Uvalde Foundation For Kids had announced an independent search for Emmanuel but pulled its teams, as well as a $5,000 reward.

“Something is not right in this whole picture,” the organization’s founder, Daniel Chapin, said in a statement Monday. “We hope law enforcement will continue to pursue the case so that this precious child may be found and placed in a safe environment.”