Emmanuel Haro's dad Jake speaks out for 1st time from jail
Jake Haro speaks from jail
In an exclusive interview with the Southern California News Group, Jake Haro denied the claims made by San Bernardino and Riverside county officials that baby Emmanuel had been abused over a period of time by his parents and that the baby eventually succumbed to those injuries.
LOS ANGELES - Jake Haro, the father of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, is speaking out for the first time about the disappearance of his son.
Jake and Rebecca Haro, the baby's mother, maintain their innocence.
The two were arrested on Aug. 22 on suspicion of murdering baby Emmanuel.
‘I love you buddy’
What they're saying:
In an exclusive jailhouse interview with the Southern California News Group, Jake would not say if he led authorities to the Moreno Valley Badlands, but insisted he has been "completely cooperative."
When asked about what he would say to baby Emmanuel today, he replied, "I love you buddy."
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Jake also spoke at length about his 2023 child cruelty conviction involving his then 10-week-old daughter, Carolina.
He said he was "railroaded" into a plea after admitting he accidentally dropped his baby daughter.
2018 child abuse case details
Dig deeper:
During a press conference on Aug. 27, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin discussed the 2018 incident involving Jake's daughter with another woman. The baby suffered several injuries, including a partial bone fracture of the skull and brain hemorrhage when he accidentally dropped her during bath time. Prosecutors said the injuries were the result of long-term abuse.
"We believed it was a prison case and that Jake Haro should have gone to prison," Hestrin said.
SUGGESTED: Emmanuel Haro: New court documents reveal when 7-month-old California baby was likely killed
New details in Emmanuel Haro case released
Authorities continue to reveal new details about the case surrounding 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro's disappearance.
According to court documents obtained by People, one of the doctors who examined the baby later said that her "condition could have been fatal if medical attention was not sought."
In 2023, Jake struck a deal with prosecutors and entered a guilty plea to a single count of willful child neglect. Instead of sending Jake to prison, the judge chose to give him probation for 48 months.
Hestrin said his prosecutor objected to this decision and affirmed that it is a prison case. However, the judge decided that "Mr. Haro deserved an extra break."
SUGGESTED: Emmanuel Haro: Parents of 7-month-old California baby who vanished charged with murder
"That decision was absolutely outrageous. Mr. Haro should have been in prison at the time that this crime happened, and if that judge had done his job as he should have done, Emmanuel would be alive today," Hestrin added.
Investigation details
The backstory:
Jake and Rebecca were each charged with felony murder with malice on Aug. 26 in the death of their son Emmanuel, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s office. They were also charged with filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor.
The Haros initially reported that their son had been kidnapped on Aug. 14, though investigators later determined that did not happen. Authorities believe the child is dead, though his remains have yet to be recovered.
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Emmanuel was reported missing on Aug. 14. His mother told investigators that she had been attacked while changing Emmanuel's diaper in the parking lot of a store in the San Bernardino County community of Yucaipa, authorities said. She claimed that someone said "Hola" to her, after which everything "went blank."
"I woke up on the floor, and my son was gone," she said in an interview last week with FOX 11.
The couple appeared on several news reports making pleas to the public to help find their son.
Mom of Emmanuel Haro sticks to her story
Rebecca Haro, mom of missing baby Emmanuel Haro, is doubling down on her original story claiming she was attacked when she last saw her son.
Over the weekend, investigators said the couple had stopped cooperating, adding that there were "inconsistencies" in the mother's story. Investigators declined to discuss what these inconsistencies were.
SUGGESTED: Emmanuel Haro's mother speaks from jail, insists 7-month-old baby was kidnapped
On Aug. 22, the Haros were taken into custody on suspicion of murder at their home in Cabazon, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
Authorities searched the family's home, and over the weekend they searched for the boy's body near a freeway while his father, wearing a jail jumpsuit, was present. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said it wouldn't describe Jake's presence during the search as "providing assistance," but declined to elaborate.
Search for baby Emmanuel continues
What's next:
The search for Emmanuel continues.
Jake and Rebecca's next court date is Sept. 4.
The Source: This report is based on exclusive information from a jailhouse interview conducted by the Southern California News Group. It also cites details from court documents obtained by People, statements made by Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin during a press conference, and prior interviews given by the mother to FOX 11.