Mother Pleads Guilty In Baby Emmanuel Haro's Death, Immediately Sentenced

CABAZON, CA — Rebecca Haro pleaded guilty Friday to the death of her infant son, Emmanuel, after months of proclaiming her innocence. She was immediately sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison.

Haro had reported her son kidnapped from an Inland Empire shopping center in August, setting off a manhunt that garnered national attention.

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The 42-year-old mother admitted guilt of child abuse with the allegation of great bodily injury on a child under 5 years old, involuntary manslaughter, and accessory after the fact during a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Friday morning. As part of the plea agreement, the murder charge and filing of a false police report were dismissed. Her husband, convicted child abuser Jake Haro, pleaded guilty to the death of their 7-month-old baby in November and is serving 32 years in prison.

“Rebecca Haro’s plea and sentence today reflect her sins of parental omission,” Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith said. “Her choice not to intervene was a choice to allow, if not facilitate, Emmanuel’s death. This defendant had a legal and moral responsibility as Emmanuel’s mother. She catastrophically failed in that duty.”

Rebecca Haro signed plea agreements in Riverside County Superior Court, instead of the scheduled preliminary hearing.

"The People were prepared to present evidence supporting the charges filed against her. The evidence showed that Emmanuel died after suffering repeated physical abuse inflicted by his
father, Jake Mitchell Haro," a spokesperson for the DA's office said.

Though the evidence established that Jake Haro was the person who inflicted the fatal injuries, the
prosecution alleged that Rebecca Haro became aware of Emmanuel’s deteriorating condition and
signs of ongoing abuse, failed to protect him or obtain necessary medical care, and later
participated in efforts to conceal the crime.

It was after Emmanuel’s death that Rebecca and Jake Haro fabricated a false story claiming that Emmanuel had been abducted during a surprise attack in a Yucaipa parking lot.

Investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department determined that the reported kidnapping never occurred.

"The plea resolves Rebecca Haro’s criminal liability for her failure to protect Emmanuel and for
her role in concealing the circumstances surrounding his death," according to the District Attorney's Office.

In November, her husband, Jake Haro, the father and known abuser, admitted to killing his 7-month-old son after he conspired with his wife to cover up the crime by filing a false kidnapping report, and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, according to prosecutors. His spouse, Rebecca Haro, did not initially join the plea, which was entered directly in Riverside County Superior Court before Judge Gary Polk, without negotiations between the defense and the prosecution.

The body of their child, Emmanuel, has not been located.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin released a statement on the sentencing of Jake Haro in November:

"The lies told in this case only deepened the tragedy of Emmanuel’s death," Hestrin said. “While today’s sentence represents a measure of accountability for Jake Haro, our office will continue to seek justice as the case against his co-defendant moves forward.”

How it began...

Rebecca Haro first reported her son was missing on the evening of Aug. 14, in the 34000 block of Yucaipa Boulevard, outside of a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store in Yucaipa, in San Bernardino County.

She told deputies she'd been assaulted while standing near her vehicle, changing Emmanuel's diaper outside the store. In a news conference the next day, Jake and Rebecca Haro stood side by side, saying that she had been knocked out, and that an unknown attacker had fled the scene with her infant son.

As numerous people gathered to help search for the baby, Haro's story began to unravel.

By Aug. 18, San Bernardino County Sheriff's detectives served search warrants at the defendants' Ramona Street property, and gathered "a large amount of surveillance video" from "areas of interest for review," Dicus said.

Investigators learned that Jake Haro had been arrested and charged last year in Banning with illegal possession of a loaded firearm, as well as probation violations. That case has not been resolved.

Court documents also revealed that Isabel Rebecca Gonzalez, Haro's former spouse, filed a domestic violence restraining order against him with a request to protect the couple's son, Eli.

Rebecca Haro has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County, and she continues to be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith.

"Because there are still active criminal proceedings involving Rebecca Haro, the District Attorney’s
Office will be making no additional comments regarding the case or Jake Haro’s sentencing," a spokesperson from the DA's office said.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said Emmanuel's death was preventable, blaming a failure in the criminal justice system for enabling Jake Haro to remain free on probation after pleading guilty in a child abuse case involving his ex-wife and another infant, Carolina.

In 2023, Haro admitted a child cruelty charge, but again pleaded directly to the court, avoiding negotiations with prosecutors. Hestrin said the D.A.'s office had wanted prison for the defendant's extensive abuse of the girl, which resulted in broken ribs, a fractured skull, and a brain hemorrhage, leaving her permanently bedridden.

"If that judge had done his job, Emmanuel would be alive today," Hestrin said.

Related:

Father Pleads Guilty In Son Emmanuel Haro's Murder: RivCo DA

Police Have 'Strong Indication' Of Where Baby Emmanuel's Remains Are Located

4 Things To Know About The CA Case Of Missing Baby Emmanuel Haro