Jake Haro, the Riverside County father accused of killing his 7-month-old son, Emmanuel, has pleaded guilty to murder, child assault causing death, and filing a false police report, officials announced Thursday.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Haro, 32, entered his guilty plea to all three charges in court after denying the charges in September. Prosecutors said Haro admitted to fatally abusing his infant son between Aug. 5 and Aug. 14, 2025, before lying to investigators about what happened.
Haro and his wife, Rebecca Haro, were both arrested in August and initially pleaded not guilty in the case. The couple was accused of murdering Emmanuel, who, according to prosecutors, endured prolonged abuse before his death.
“He was abused over a period of time,” Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin previously said. “Both parents would have been aware of that abuse.”
Rebecca Haro is still facing charges of murder and filing a false police report after she told authorities her baby had been kidnapped outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa on Aug. 14. The couple later held a televised news conference pleading for Emmanuel’s safe return, but investigators soon found inconsistencies in their story and determined they could not rule out foul play.
Both were arrested days later at their home in Cabazon, a small desert community northwest of Palm Springs. Despite extensive searches, Emmanuel’s remains have not been found.
At the time of his arrest, Jake Haro was already on probation for a prior child abuse case involving his then-10-week-old daughter, Carolina, who suffered broken bones and brain trauma.
“She is still alive today, but she is permanently bedridden,” Hestrin said at the time. “She has permanent damage — cerebral palsy — that is a result of long-term child abuse.”
Hestrin has publicly criticized the visiting judge who sentenced Haro to probation in that earlier case.
“He decided that Mr. Haro deserved an extra break and work release,” Hestrin said. “That decision was absolutely outrageous.”
Jake and Rebecca Haro had each been held on $1 million bail. Sentencing details for Jake Haro have not yet been announced.
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