The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has addressed what it calls “a significant amount of misinformation” about past legal decisions in the case concerning the father of the missing child, Emmanuel Haro.

In 2018, Jake Haro, Emmanuel’s father, received a suspended sentence requiring him to complete a child abuse program due to a different child abuse incident. This earlier case resulted in permanent disabilities for his daughter, who was 10 months old at the time.

Haro reportedly breached his parole terms in 2024, leading to his temporary detention until he was released on bail. Emmanuel, who disappeared at the age of 7 months, had not been born when these events took place.

Emmanuel has been missing since August 14, after Rebecca Haro claimed her baby was abducted following an assault in a California parking lot. Subsequently, police determined this account was untrue.

DA’s office ‘strongly objected’ to plea deal

In a comprehensive statement on Thursday, the DA’s office expressed that although Haro’s charges “could have been more severe,” the terms could not be adjusted due to his guilty plea, which the judge had already accepted.

The office said it “strongly objected” to the sentence before the ruling.

“We contend that placing Mr. Haro on probation in light of these circumstances and facts was a misjudgment in the use of discretion. This formed the basis of our opposition,” they stated.

Both Haro and his wife entered not guilty pleas earlier this month on charges of murdering their son and filing a false police report.

‘Justice’ for baby Emmanuel

The DA’s office suggested it would have been “highly likely” that it would have sought more severe charges for Haro if a guilty plea had not been entered in his previous case.

Meanwhile, “Our office’s primary focus remains providing justice for Baby Emmanuel,” the statement read.

“It is essential that we do not lose sight of who is truly responsible for the loss of life at issue in this case and focus our time and energy on ensuring justice for Baby Emmanuel.”