California Father Accused of Murdering Infant Son Previously Convicted of Abusing Newborn Daughter
- Victor Nwoko
- 1 minute ago
- 2 min read

A California father accused of murdering his 7-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro, had previously been convicted of brutally abusing his newborn daughter, leaving her permanently disabled, authorities revealed.
Jake Haro, 32, and his wife, Rebecca Haro, 41, remain in custody on $1 million bail each as investigators continue searching for Emmanuel’s remains. The infant is believed to have suffered weeks of severe abuse before being killed and discarded in a trash can.

At a press briefing, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin disclosed that Haro was convicted last year of child abuse against his then-10-week-old daughter, Carolina, from a prior relationship. “She is still alive today, but she is permanently bedridden. She has cerebral palsy as a result of long-term child abuse,” Hestrin said.
Court records show the child was hospitalized with brain trauma, multiple bone fractures, and internal bleeding, leading to Haro’s charge of willful child cruelty. Despite pleading guilty in 2023, Haro never served a prison term. Instead, a judge suspended his six-year sentence, ordering only six months in a work release program and four years of probation.

“This is severe abuse for an infant,” Hestrin said. “Someone who does that to a child belongs in prison, period. If that judge had done his job, Emmanuel would be alive today. That decision was outrageous.”
Authorities allege Haro admitted to killing Emmanuel after being tricked by an undercover inmate while in custody. Investigators believe the child had already been dead for weeks from parental abuse before the couple staged a false kidnapping report.
Rebecca Haro initially told police that a stranger attacked her and abducted the baby while she was changing his diaper outside a sporting goods store in San Bernardino on August 14. However, sheriff’s deputies soon uncovered inconsistencies in the couple’s accounts, leading to their arrest and murder charges.
Prosecutors now say Emmanuel’s death highlights a systemic failure in protecting vulnerable children from repeat offenders.