Topline: Nine months after falsely reporting son’s kidnapping, Emmanuel Haro’s mother pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Published: May 30, 2026 1:00 am ET
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Emmanuel Haro and his mother Rebecca Haro in court (via Facebook)
RIVERSIDE, CA — A California mother pleaded guilty May 29 to child abuse and involuntary manslaughter for her role in covering up the murder of her 7-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro.
Rebecca Haro, 23, entered the plea as part of a deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in state prison, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Her husband, Jake Haro, is already serving a life sentence in state prison after pleading guilty to murder in the child’s death.
The mother also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of accessory after the fact. She previously maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to murder charges in September 2025.
Investigators determined Emmanuel suffered repeated abuse from his father, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors said Rebecca Haro failed to protect her son, did not seek medical care for him, and helped hide the circumstances of his death.
“Rebecca Haro’s plea and sentence today reflect her sins of parental omission,” stated Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith. “Her choice not to intervene was a choice to allow, if not facilitate, Emmanuel’s death. This defendant had a legal and moral responsibility as Emmanuel’s mother. She catastrophically failed in that duty.”
Rebecca Haro initially reported her son was kidnapped just before 8 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2025. She told police the abduction happened in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Yucaipa, a city 10 miles east of San Bernardino, PEOPLE magazine previously reported.
The mother told investigators at the time that she laid the baby on a seat to change his diaper when an unknown person spoke to her. She claimed she blacked out and woke up to find the child gone.
Police initially believed the account. The mother had a large black eye that she claimed she received during the alleged assault.
The investigation slowed when detectives found contradictions in the stories provided by both parents, authorities said. Within a week of the initial report, the couple stopped assisting police.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department changed the direction of the investigation on Aug. 22, 2025, announcing that no kidnapping occurred. Officials stated they believed Emmanuel was dead and began searching for his remains.
Deputies arrested both parents that day on suspicion of murder. Jake Haro briefly left jail two days later to help investigators search for the body, though remains have not been recovered.
The last verified sighting of Emmanuel occurred on Aug. 5, 2025, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators believe the child died days before his mother filed the police report,.
Jake Haro had a prior conviction for child abuse. He pleaded guilty to willful neglect of a child in 2024 following an investigation into the abuse of his 10-week-old daughter in 2018. The injuries left the girl permanently bedridden with cerebral palsy.
The couple had a third child, aged 2, who was removed from their custody during the homicide investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Rebecca Haro Gets 12-Year Prison Term in Infant Son’s Death
Nine months after falsely reporting son’s kidnapping, Emmanuel Haro’s mother pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
By Kate Byrd
Published: May 30, 2026 1:00 am ET
Emmanuel Haro and his mother Rebecca Haro in court (via Facebook)
RIVERSIDE, CA — A California mother pleaded guilty May 29 to child abuse and involuntary manslaughter for her role in covering up the murder of her 7-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro.
Rebecca Haro, 23, entered the plea as part of a deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in state prison, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Her husband, Jake Haro, is already serving a life sentence in state prison after pleading guilty to murder in the child’s death.
The mother also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of accessory after the fact. She previously maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to murder charges in September 2025.
Investigators determined Emmanuel suffered repeated abuse from his father, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors said Rebecca Haro failed to protect her son, did not seek medical care for him, and helped hide the circumstances of his death.
“Rebecca Haro’s plea and sentence today reflect her sins of parental omission,” stated Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith. “Her choice not to intervene was a choice to allow, if not facilitate, Emmanuel’s death. This defendant had a legal and moral responsibility as Emmanuel’s mother. She catastrophically failed in that duty.”
Rebecca Haro initially reported her son was kidnapped just before 8 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2025. She told police the abduction happened in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Yucaipa, a city 10 miles east of San Bernardino, PEOPLE magazine previously reported.
The mother told investigators at the time that she laid the baby on a seat to change his diaper when an unknown person spoke to her. She claimed she blacked out and woke up to find the child gone.
Police initially believed the account. The mother had a large black eye that she claimed she received during the alleged assault.
The investigation slowed when detectives found contradictions in the stories provided by both parents, authorities said. Within a week of the initial report, the couple stopped assisting police.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department changed the direction of the investigation on Aug. 22, 2025, announcing that no kidnapping occurred. Officials stated they believed Emmanuel was dead and began searching for his remains.
Deputies arrested both parents that day on suspicion of murder. Jake Haro briefly left jail two days later to help investigators search for the body, though remains have not been recovered.
The last verified sighting of Emmanuel occurred on Aug. 5, 2025, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators believe the child died days before his mother filed the police report,.
Jake Haro had a prior conviction for child abuse. He pleaded guilty to willful neglect of a child in 2024 following an investigation into the abuse of his 10-week-old daughter in 2018. The injuries left the girl permanently bedridden with cerebral palsy.
The couple had a third child, aged 2, who was removed from their custody during the homicide investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Rebecca Haro Gets 12-Year Prison Term in Infant Son’s Death
Nine months after falsely reporting son’s kidnapping, Emmanuel Haro’s mother pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
By Kate Byrd
Published: May 30, 2026 1:00 am ET
Emmanuel Haro and his mother Rebecca Haro in court (via Facebook)
RIVERSIDE, CA — A California mother pleaded guilty May 29 to child abuse and involuntary manslaughter for her role in covering up the murder of her 7-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro.
Rebecca Haro, 23, entered the plea as part of a deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in state prison, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Her husband, Jake Haro, is already serving a life sentence in state prison after pleading guilty to murder in the child’s death.
The mother also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of accessory after the fact. She previously maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to murder charges in September 2025.
Investigators determined Emmanuel suffered repeated abuse from his father, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors said Rebecca Haro failed to protect her son, did not seek medical care for him, and helped hide the circumstances of his death.
“Rebecca Haro’s plea and sentence today reflect her sins of parental omission,” stated Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith. “Her choice not to intervene was a choice to allow, if not facilitate, Emmanuel’s death. This defendant had a legal and moral responsibility as Emmanuel’s mother. She catastrophically failed in that duty.”
Rebecca Haro initially reported her son was kidnapped just before 8 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2025. She told police the abduction happened in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Yucaipa, a city 10 miles east of San Bernardino, PEOPLE magazine previously reported.
The mother told investigators at the time that she laid the baby on a seat to change his diaper when an unknown person spoke to her. She claimed she blacked out and woke up to find the child gone.
Police initially believed the account. The mother had a large black eye that she claimed she received during the alleged assault.
The investigation slowed when detectives found contradictions in the stories provided by both parents, authorities said. Within a week of the initial report, the couple stopped assisting police.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department changed the direction of the investigation on Aug. 22, 2025, announcing that no kidnapping occurred. Officials stated they believed Emmanuel was dead and began searching for his remains.
Deputies arrested both parents that day on suspicion of murder. Jake Haro briefly left jail two days later to help investigators search for the body, though remains have not been recovered.
The last verified sighting of Emmanuel occurred on Aug. 5, 2025, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators believe the child died days before his mother filed the police report,.
Jake Haro had a prior conviction for child abuse. He pleaded guilty to willful neglect of a child in 2024 following an investigation into the abuse of his 10-week-old daughter in 2018. The injuries left the girl permanently bedridden with cerebral palsy.
The couple had a third child, aged 2, who was removed from their custody during the homicide investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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