Authorities in Southern California say a 7-month-old baby boy who vanished more than a week ago is now believed to have died from ongoing abuse at the hands of his parents — and that the couple then staged a fake kidnapping to cover it up.
According to the Associated Press, Jake Haro, 32, and Rebecca Haro, 41, were arrested last week and formally charged with murder in connection with the disappearance of their infant son, Emmanuel Haro.
“The filing in this case reflects our belief that baby Emmanuel was abused, a victim of child abuse over time, and that eventually, because of that abuse, he succumbed to those injuries,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin told reporters during a press conference Wednesday.
The Haros remain in custody on $1 million bail each and are scheduled to be arraigned next week.
Authorities launched a search for Emmanuel after Rebecca Haro told investigators on Aug. 14 that she had been attacked and knocked unconscious while changing her son’s diaper outside a store in Yucaipa, a San Bernardino County community. She claimed she awoke to find her son missing.
But investigators say “inconsistencies” quickly emerged in her story. A deeper investigation led them to search the couple’s home in Cabazon and ultimately arrest them on Aug. 16, stating they believed the child was already deceased.
Over the weekend, deputies conducted a search for the boy’s remains in a field near a freeway. Officials say Jake Haro provided “some cooperation” during the effort. However, Emmanuel’s body has not yet been found, and authorities have not released further details about the search.
Hestrin also revealed a disturbing pattern in Jake Haro’s history, including a prior child abuse conviction stemming from a 2018 incident involving another one of his children.
The girl, according to Hestrin, suffered rib and skull fractures, a brain hemorrhage, and permanent injuries. Haro pleaded guilty in 2023, but instead of prison time, he received 180 days of work release and probation.
“It was an outrageous error in judgment by this judge,” Hestrin said, criticizing the decision not to impose a prison sentence.
Messages seeking comment were left for both the Haros’ legal counsel and the Riverside County Superior Court regarding the earlier child abuse case.
The case has sparked widespread concern in California communities and renewed calls for stricter oversight in the criminal justice system when it comes to prior abuse offenders.
Law enforcement officials say the search for baby Emmanuel will continue.
