California Parents’ Dark Secret: The Heartbreaking Case of Emmanuel Haro

Yesterday, Jake Haro, 32, and Rebecca Haro, 41, were charged with murder and filing a false police report in the death of their 7-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro, in Riverside County, California. The couple was arrested on August 22 at their Cabazon home, about 25 miles northwest of Palm Springs, following a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigation that debunked Rebecca’s claim of a kidnapping on August 14. She alleged she was assaulted and knocked unconscious while changing Emmanuel’s diaper outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa, claiming the infant was taken. “I got him out of the car seat, and I laid him down so I can get his diaper ready,” Rebecca told media, adding, “I woke up right here on the floor, and I didn’t see Emmanuel.” Investigators found inconsistencies in her story, and she ceased cooperation after being confronted.

Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin stated on August 27 that Emmanuel died from prolonged abuse, saying, “The filing in this case reflects our belief that baby Emmanuel was a victim of child abuse over time and that eventually because of that abuse, he succumbed to those injuries.” Hestrin noted a “pretty strong indication” of where Emmanuel’s remains are, though searches in Yucaipa and Moreno Valley’s Badlands continue.

Jake reportedly confessed to an undercover informant that he killed Emmanuel and disposed of his body in a trash can, after initially claiming he accidentally rolled over the child in bed. Jake’s prior 2018 conviction for child cruelty, involving severe injuries to another infant, drew Hestrin’s ire: “That decision was absolutely outrageous. Mr. Haro should have been in prison at the time that this crime happened.” The couple’s 2-year-old child is now in protective custody. Arraignment, delayed due to limited case details, is set for September 4, with no plea bargains offered. “We’re interested in a trial and getting to justice,” Hestrin said.