A father has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison for staging the kidnapping of his baby son and subsequently murdering the child. Jake Haro, 32, confessed to the murder during a previous court appearance, which occurred more than two months after he and his wife, Rebecca, initially misled authorities with false claims. The couple’s story of Rebecca being assaulted and rendered unconscious while changing their son’s diaper in their car outside a store in Yucaipa, California, in August was debunked by police due to inconsistencies in their statements. Consequently, the couple was apprehended a week later, leading to the revelation that Haro was responsible for the child’s death. Despite extensive investigations, the infant’s body has not been located.
Haro was convicted in a California court for charges including murder, filing a false police report, and child endangerment, resulting in a combined prison term exceeding three decades. In contrast, Rebecca Haro, aged 41, pleaded not guilty and is currently in custody on a $1 million bail, awaiting a court appearance scheduled for January.
Prosecutors in Riverside County pushed for a 31-year to life prison sentence for Haro, citing not only the murder of Emmanuel but also an incident in 2018 where he severely harmed another child. Haro had previously admitted to endangering his daughter and received a suspended six-year prison sentence, which prosecutors now advocate should be enforced.
Brandon Smith, assistant district attorney in Riverside County, emphasized in court documents that Haro’s actions resulted in the deaths of two young children, denouncing his malevolent deeds. The incident in August, where Rebecca reported Emmanuel’s abduction from a store parking lot in Yucaipa, led to initial sympathy for the mother, who claimed memory loss after being confronted by an assailant. However, subsequent investigations cast doubt on her account, ultimately implicating both parents in the tragic event.
