This story contains descriptions of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Childhelp Hotline at (800) 422-4453.
PALM SPRINGS, CA — The father of Emmanuel Haro, the missing 7-month-old boy in Southern California, has pleaded guilty to the baby’s murder, prosecutors announced.
Jake Haro, 32, pleaded guilty on Oct. 16 to all charges, including murder, child endangerment, and filing a false police report, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. He entered a guilty plea to a court during a felony settlement conference in Riverside, California.
Jake Haro faces 25 years to life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. His wife, Rebecca Haro, 41, is also scheduled on Nov. 3 to have her preliminary hearing on charges of murder and filing a false police report.
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The father’s guilty plea comes over a month after he and Rebecca Haro pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The Haros were accused of murdering Emmanuel and filing a false police report in connection with the child’s disappearance in August.
The couple was arrested at their home in Cabazon, California, on Aug. 22 after police found inconsistencies in their report of the purported abduction. As of Oct. 16, the district attorney’s office said the baby’s remains have not yet been found.
Jake Haro’s lawyers did not immediately respond to The Desert Sun’s, part of the USA TODAY Network, requests for comment on Oct. 16. He had been appointed two attorneys from the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office, Paulette Garthwaite and Allison Lowe.
Citing the ongoing criminal case against Rebecca Haro, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin and his office declined to comment on the guilty plea. Rebecca Haro is being represented by Jeff Moore, who previously represented Louise Turpin, the mother who was convicted with her husband of imprisoning and abusing their children for years in Perris, California.
The disappearance of Emmanuel garnered national attention after Rebecca Haro reported that her son was kidnapped shortly before 8 p.m. local time on Aug. 14 outside of a sporting goods store in Yucaipa, California, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Rebecca Haro alleged that she was attacked while changing her child’s diaper outside of her vehicle and became unconscious, the sheriff’s department said in a statement on Aug. 15. She told police that when she regained consciousness, the baby was gone.
Authorities from San Bernardino and Riverside counties responded to the scene and began an extensive search throughout the area, but were unable to find Emmanuel, according to the sheriff’s department.
The sheriff’s department said investigators interviewed multiple people, including Jake and Rebecca Haro. During those interviews, police noted that they found “inconsistencies” with Rebecca Haro’s initial claim.
At the time, the sheriff’s department said investigators were unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of Emmanuel.
Yucaipa is 10 miles east of San Bernardino. Cabazon is about 20 more miles away from Yucaipa.
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On Aug. 22, Jake and Rebecca Haro were arrested at their home in Cabazon. Authorities have said there were no other suspects in the case.
“While these arrests mark a significant development, our focus remains on finding Emmanuel,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in an Aug. 22 news release.
Jake and Rebecca Haro later briefly appeared in court on Aug. 26 and were formally charged with murder and knowingly making a false report of a crime.
During a news conference on Aug. 27, Hestrin said investigators believe Emmanuel’s death was a result of prolonged abuse. Jake Haro had been previously convicted of child abuse and was on probation at the time of the incident, according to the district attorney’s office.
“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,” Hestrin said at the news conference.
Hestrin also said investigators have “a pretty strong indication” of where the infant’s body is, but search operations were still underway.
The Haros were initially booked into the Riverside County jail without bail. After pleading not guilty to murder charges on Sept. 4, the couple’s bail was set at $1 million.
Contributing: Melina Khan, USA TODAY; Christopher Damien, Palm Springs Desert Sun
