Infant Emmanuel Haro Likely Killed Days Before Reported Missing, Court Documents Reveal

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - New details released Wednesday indicate that seven-month-old Emmanuel Haro may have been fatally injured nearly two weeks before his disappearance was reported. Court filings obtained by E! News show that investigators believe Emmanuel died sometime between August 5 and August 14, almost nine days before his mother, Rebecca Haro, claimed he was abducted from a Yucaipa parking lot.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin and San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus held a joint news conference outlining the timeline uncovered in the murder complaint. According to the document, law enforcement suspects that the infant’s death was not an isolated incident but the culmination of ongoing abuse by his parents, Rebecca, 41, and Jake Haro, 32. Both have been charged with murder, kidnapping and making false reports to authorities.

Sheriff Dicus stressed the case was “preventable” had prior warning signs been acted upon. He noted that records from a separate 2023 child abuse conviction against Jake Haro went unheeded, resulting in probation rather than prison time. “If that judge had done his job as he should have done, Emmanuel would be alive today,” Dicus said, condemning the criminal justice system’s failure to protect the child.

Neither Emmanuel’s remains nor the location of his body have been confirmed, but officials say they have a “strong indication” of where the infant may be and are continuing a coordinated search with cadaver dogs. Both parents remain in custody on $1 million bail apiece, with an arraignment scheduled for September 4.

Background

On August 14, Rebecca Haro reported Emmanuel missing, claiming she had been assaulted in a Big 5 parking lot and that her son had been taken. Within 24 hours, investigators identified inconsistencies in her account, preventing an Amber Alert from being issued and shifting the inquiry from a missing-child case to a homicide investigation.

Next Steps

Prosecutors with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and San Bernardino County’s lead investigator, Sergeant Nicholas Clark, emphasize the ongoing nature of the probe. “We will follow every lead until we recover Emmanuel’s remains and secure justice,” Dicus affirmed.

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