Investigation Into Baby Emmanuel Haro's Death Exposed Family Secrets And Lies

CABAZON, CA — San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Nicholas Clark and Detective Shane Clark weren't fooled by the claims of parents Rebecca Haro and Jake Haro in the reported kidnapping of 7-month-old baby Emmanuel.

Nearly one year ago, mother Rebecca Haro claimed to have been assaulted, and her baby kidnapped outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa. The next day, they were ready to pass out fliers and help search parties organizing to find the stolen child. They offered a $5,000 reward for information about his disappearance.

According to detailed findings reported in the Press Enterprise, their story crumbled. From a lack of baby items in the home, including diapers, to a zig-zag drive across Riverside County, detectives came to believe baby Emmanuel was dead, and built their case against the parents.

Ultimately, father Jake Haro pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and filing a false police report and now is serving an over 30-year prison sentence. Mother Jake Haro, in May, pleaded guilty to her part: child endangerment, involuntary manslaughter, and accessory after the fact. She will spend 13 years in prison.

Riverside County Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith did not make revealing the location a condition of Rebecca Haro's plea.

“The tenor of that trial would have been set at the beginning when they (those in the courtroom) saw the body-worn camera (video) of Rebecca reporting her son missing, knowing that he had been dead for days,” Smith said. “I think the entire understanding of who these people are starts with viewing their ability to divorce themselves from the truth and divorce themselves from reality and focus entirely on themselves and portraying themselves as victims. She victimized everybody who really wanted to believe her.”

The Press Enterprise took a deep dive into the case, following the investigation of Sgt. Nicholas Clark and Detective Shane Crowl. Read the full report here.

Emmanuel's body has never been recovered.

During Patch's coverage, from the alleged kidnapping to the final sentencing of Rebecca Haro, here are four things about the case that everyone should know.

1. Murder With Malice Aforethought

Jake Mitchell Haro, 32, and his wife, Rebecca Renee Haro, 41, were taken into custody at approximately 7:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, in Cabazon by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies. They were booked into separate Riverside County jails on suspicion of murder with malice aforethought in the death of their baby boy, Emmanuel Haro.

Rebecca Haro maintained a not-guilty plea until her May plea deal and sentencing, before her case went to trial.

2. The Search For Baby Emmanuel's Body

During his plea arrangement, Jake Haro, who was outfitted in a Riverside County jail suit, was accompanied by law enforcement to the westbound shoulder of State Route 60, near Gilman Springs Road, in Moreno Valley, to search for Emmanuel's body.

"...A search for Emmanuel Haro was conducted along the westbound shoulder of the 60 Freeway, near Gilman Springs Road, in Moreno Valley," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced Sunday on social media. "Investigators were assisted by cadaver dogs. Jake Haro was at the location with detectives. The search has concluded, and Emmanuel was not located. The investigation to find Emmanuel continues."

3. Jurisdiction

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies arrested the Haros at their home in the 50000 block of Ramona Street in Cabazon, in Riverside County. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is the lead in the case, though the Haros are facing charges in Riverside County.

"Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported at the time. "It is believed Emmanuel is deceased, and the search to recover his remains is ongoing."

4. Overwhelming Evidence In The Case:

Investigators apparently saw holes in Rebecca Haro's statements early on, and search warrants were obtained and served at the family home. "Digital and electronic evidence has been collected and closely analyzed," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

During the investigation, a young child at the family residence was removed by Riverside County Child and Family Services officers, according to Rodriguez. A reason was not provided.

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, the 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.

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 pled 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 at that time.

"Prior to any plea to the court in that case, we strongly objected to the proposed sentence," according to the D.A.'s office. "Our objection was made based on the seriousness of the injuries Mr. Haro inflicted on his then-10-week-old daughter. When the court chose to deviate (from the prosecution's effort to secure prison) ... it was acutely aware of the heinous and permanent nature of this young victim's injuries. We believe that granting Haro probation under these circumstances, on these facts, was an inappropriate use of (the court's) discretion."

Related:

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

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