RIVERSIDE, CA – In a stunning and emotional turn of events, Jake Mitchell Haro, the father of missing 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, entered a guilty plea this week to the murder of his infant son. The plea, which was made directly to the court and not as part of an agreement with the District Attorney's office, included one count each of murder, child endangerment, and filing a false police report. This development reverses an earlier not-guilty plea and marks a crucial moment in the investigation that began with a reported, and later discredited, abduction claim in August 2025.
Haro, 32, now faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. His sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2025, at the Hall of Justice in Riverside. The guilty plea is seen by many in the community and legal observers as a form of admission in a case that has gripped the region since the initial missing person report. Prosecutors have previously asserted their belief that Emmanuel died from severe, long-term child abuse, a claim supported by the guilty plea to the child endangerment charge. Despite the father's admission, the remains of the young boy have still not been recovered, a heartbreaking detail that remains central to the ongoing tragedy.
The legal proceedings for Jake Haro’s wife and Emmanuel’s mother, Rebecca Renee Haro, 41, continue on a separate, divergent path. Rebecca Haro has maintained her plea of not guilty to charges of murder and filing a false police report. Her preliminary hearing is also scheduled to take place on November 3, the same date as her husband's sentencing. The couple was arrested in August, a little over a week after Rebecca Haro reported an alleged attack and subsequent kidnapping of Emmanuel from a Yucaipa parking lot, a story that authorities quickly deemed inconsistent and falsified.
The dual court proceedings on November 3 will highlight the distinct legal positions of the couple. Jake Haro’s previous criminal history, including a 2023 conviction for willful child cruelty involving another child, has been repeatedly brought up by the District Attorney’s office, which has been vocal in its criticism of a prior judicial decision that granted him probation instead of a prison sentence. As the court date looms, the family and the community await final justice for baby Emmanuel, with all eyes now focused on the outcome of the father’s sentencing and the future of the charges against the mother.
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