Crime
Rebecca & Jake Haro charged with murder in Riverside County
MORENO VALLEY, Calif. – The parents of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, who is now presumed dead, have been formally charged with murder, prosecutors confirmed Monday.
Rebecca Haro, 41, and Jake Haro, 32, are also facing charges of filing a false police report in connection with their son’s disappearance.
Both are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Jail records show Rebecca is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center, while Jake is housed at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility.
Authorities confirmed that both are being held without bail.
The developments come nearly two weeks after Emmanuel was first reported missing, prompting a large-scale search.
On Sunday afternoon, more than a dozen vehicles from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department were seen stationed along the 60 Freeway in a remote area east of Moreno Valley, known locally as the Badlands.
Investigators, assisted by cadaver dogs, combed through steep terrain but did not recover the child’s remains.
Jake Haro, dressed in a red jail-issued jumpsuit, was present at the scene with investigators. Authorities clarified that while he accompanied deputies, he did not assist in the search. After an extensive effort, search teams departed without locating Emmanuel. Officials later stated: “The search has concluded, and Emmanuel was not located. The investigation to find Emmanuel continues.”
The case drew public attention after Rebecca Haro initially made an emotional plea for help, claiming she had been assaulted in a Yucaipa parking lot on August 14 and that her baby had been abducted. Just one day later, in an interview with Eyewitness News, Jake Haro spoke of his son in the past tense, telling reporters: “He was a healthy baby. He was crawling. He was kicking. He was playing with his toys. He was a 7-month-old, he was our 7-month-old.”
Within a week of that interview, both parents were arrested at their home in Cabazon. A memorial for Emmanuel has since grown outside the residence, with community members and strangers leaving flowers and tributes.
The investigation is being led by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, as the missing person report originated in Yucaipa. However, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is now overseeing the case after investigators determined the alleged homicide likely occurred in Riverside County.
Authorities say they have executed multiple search warrants at the Haro residence, reviewed extensive surveillance video, and conducted searches in both Yucaipa and Cabazon.
Court records reveal that Jake Haro previously pleaded guilty in 2018 to a charge of willful cruelty to a child.
Authorities also confirmed that the couple has been linked to additional reports of abuse.
On Thursday, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies responded to a child abuse call at a home in the 23000 block of Cottonwood Avenue in Moreno Valley, which officials have confirmed is connected to the Haro investigation.
The abuse investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not released additional details.
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed Friday afternoon in a parking lot outside a Little Caesars restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
The victim has been named as Stevens Jeffrey, 29, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the 2600 block of West Cermak Road near Rockwell Street at approximately 1:10 p.m., according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Preliminary reports indicate that Jeffrey was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown vehicle.
An armed individual exited that vehicle and opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, where Jeffrey was pronounced dead. He was discovered inside his vehicle with his two young children, ages 4 and 6, who were unharmed.
Both children were transported to Stroger Hospital for precautionary evaluation.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a Little Caesars restaurant, where investigators recovered multiple shell casings and placed numerous evidence markers on the ground.
As of Friday evening, no suspects are in custody, and detectives from the CPD Area Four Homicide Unit are leading the investigation. Police have not released information on a possible motive.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this homicide to contact Chicago Police or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com.