Parents Killed Baby In Riverside County Between Aug. 5 And Aug. 14: DA

CABAZON, CA — The parents of baby Emmanuel Haro were charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in connection with his disappearance, though their court arraignment was postponed to next month.

Jake Mitchell Haro, 32, and Rebecca Renee Haro, 41, both of Cabazon, were each charged with one count of murder in the alleged death of the child, who was 7 months old at the time of his reported disappearance, and one count each of making false statements to law enforcement.

If convicted, the Haros are each facing a potential prison sentence of 25 years to life on the murder count, and an additional six months on the false statements count.

During Tuesday's initial court hearing, the Haros appeared before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gary Polk. He scheduled a September 4 arraignment for the couple. The delay was requested by a public defender representing both defendants. A request for comment from the attorney was not immediately returned.

Bail for Jake and Rebecca Haro has been set at $1 million each. Jail records show Jake is being housed at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, while Rebecca is in custody at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

In the August 26 complaint against the couple, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office alleges that Emmanuel was murdered by his parents sometime between August 5 and August 14 in Riverside County.

The child was reported missing by Rebecca just after 7:45 p.m. on August 14. The mother told investigators that she was at a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store in the San Bernardino County city of Yucaipa and went to her vehicle to change Emmanuel's diaper when an unknown male attacked her.

Rebecca told deputies she was rendered unconscious during the assault, and when she came to, her child was missing, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The law enforcement agency, which has led the missing person investigation, was not convinced by Rebecca's account. During an investigation into the couple, multiple warrants were served. Investigators conducted searches of their home, a barn, and the surrounding property with K9s. At least one vehicle, belonging to Jake, was removed from the scene.

The Haros were arrested the morning of Friday, August 22, at their home in the 50000 block of Ramona Street in Cabazon. Both were booked into county jail on suspicion of murder and have remained in custody.

The arrests came just one day after Riverside County deputies were dispatched to the 23000 block of Cottonwood Avenue in Moreno Valley regarding the report of child abuse. Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez confirmed to Patch that the report was related to the Haro case, but she said further details were not available.

Over the weekend, Jake was taken by detectives into a field along the westbound shoulder of the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley, near Gilman Springs Road. There, cadaver dogs assisted investigators as they walked along dirt trails with Jake, who was wearing jail garb.

That search concluded without locating Emmanuel.

It's not clear what led to the search at that location.

Rebecca Haro has no criminal history in Riverside County, though her husband does, including violating the terms of his probation. In a Riverside County case filed in July 2024, he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and with violating his probation terms. He is due in court Sept. 2 to answer those charges, according to the DA's office.

The felony conviction dates back to 2023. He and his then-partner, Vanessa Haro aka Vanessa Avina, were charged in 2018 in Riverside County with felony child cruelty.

According to a declaration in support of an arrest warrant in the case, an infant child in their care had suffered broken bones, spinal injuries, brain hemorrhage and other injuries. A doctor testified that the injuries were indicative of "abuse head trauma, child physical abuse and nutritional neglect."

Jake Haro pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years' probation and was ordered to serve 180 days in jail on the work release program. The court suspended a six-year prison sentence as part of his plea, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

Vanessa Haro pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of child cruelty.

Additionally, amid the ongoing investigation involving the search for Emmanuel, authorities removed a child from the home of Jake and Rebecca. Court documents uncovered by City News Service revealed that a former spouse other than Vanessa Haro filed a domestic violence restraining order against Jake on Aug. 19. The request sought to protect the couple's son.

"The circumstances surrounding this investigation are tragic and we will continue to search for Emmanuel," San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a prepared statement. "I trust our justice system will hold the parents accountable."

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