The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, Oct. 16, that the father of baby Emmanuel Haro has pleaded guilty to murder.
Jake Haro entered guilty pleas to three charges — murder, filing a false police report, and child endangerment — according to a spokesperson for the office. The plea comes just over two months after 7-month-old Emmanuel was last seen alive, as officials continue searching for the boy’s remains.
It’s still unclear what this means for Rebecca Haro, Emmanuel’s mother and Jake’s wife, who was also taken into custody and charged with murder and filing a false report in August.
Rebecca had told authorities that her son was kidnapped on Aug. 14, just before 8 p.m., from the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Yucaipa, about 10 miles east of San Bernardino.
“I took him out of the car seat and I laid him on the chair, and I had his diapers right here,” Rebecca said after filing what authorities now describe as a false kidnapping report. “Someone said ‘Hola,’ and I couldn’t even turn and … I don’t remember nothing.”
Rebecca claimed her next memory was waking up to find her son gone. At first, no one doubted her account — especially since she had a large black eye she said came from the alleged attack.
The investigation, however, soon hit roadblocks. Authorities said inconsistencies appeared in Rebecca’s statements, and within a week, both parents stopped cooperating with investigators.
On Aug. 22, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department released a statement saying deputies had “determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur.” The agency added that after hundreds of hours of searching, “It is believed Emmanuel is deceased and the search to recover his remains is ongoing.”
Jake and Rebecca were arrested that same day on suspicion of murder. Two days later, Jake was briefly released to assist investigators in the search for his son.
Authorities believe Emmanuel was killed days before his mother filed the false kidnapping report, with the child last seen alive on Aug. 5, according to a copy of the criminal complaint.
Jake had a history of violence. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to willful neglect of a child after severely abusing his 10-week-old daughter. Prosecutors said her injuries left her “permanently bedridden” and suffering from cerebral palsy.
Rebecca remains in custody on $1 million bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 3 for charges of murder and filing a false police report. Jake’s sentencing is set for the same day, where he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
The couple also share a 2-year-old child, who has been removed from their custody.
