THE dad of missing baby Emmanuel Haro has broken his silence from jail after being charged with the murder of his son.
Jake Haro, 32, claimed his wife, Rebecca, who has also been hit with a murder charge, is innocent.
California cops believe Emmanuel, seven months, is dead after Rebecca claimed he was taken from a parking lot.
Initially, authorities did not dismiss the possibility of foul play in their investigation into the disappearance, but they eventually concluded that Emmanuel was not kidnapped.
Jake is currently detained at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, roughly six miles from his residence in Cabazon, and he expressed fondness when referring to Rebecca.
“Rebecca is innocent,” he told The Press Enterprise.
“She is a beautiful woman. She loves her children.”
In the 45 minute jailhouse interview, Jake emphasized he and Rebecca care for Emmanuel.
And, he revealed what he would say to his baby son if he had the chance to.
“I love you, buddy,” he said.
The revelation came after Rebecca claimed Jake wouldn’t hurt their child.
Jake opened up about a 2018 case where he was charged with child abuse.
He claimed he accidentally dropped his daughter, Carolina, on a sink divider while bathing her.
Five years later, he pleaded guilty to the charge and was given a four-year suspended prison sentence.
Jake was also ordered to attend a child abuser treatment course.
He said he pleaded guilty because he couldn’t afford a trial.
But, he claimed he was railroaded into accepting a plea deal.
“The judge knows I didn’t do it,” he claimed.
“They just railroaded me. I was the fall guy.”
Rebecca and Jake were arrested at their property on August 22 – a week after she filed the missing person report.
The disappearance of Emmanuel Haro
Police in California are continuing their search for Emmanuel Haro. According to his mother, Rebecca, her seven-month-old son was taken after she was allegedly ambushed while changing his diaper. However, Rebecca and her husband Jake are now facing charges of murder.
August 14: Emmanuel’s mom, Rebecca, reports him missing. She claimed she was attacked near a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Yucaipa.
August 15: San Bernardino cops issue a statement, saying the search for Emmanuel is ongoing. They reveal that he has not been found.
August 16: Cops say they cannot rule out foul play.
August 17: Police visit the Haro family home.
August 18: The authorities report that they have carried out extensive searches in Yucaipa and Cabazon. They also mention that a significant volume of surveillance footage has been examined.
August 19: San Bernardino cops probe an alleged sighting of Emmanuel. Police have also seized a car belonging to Emmanuel’s dad, Jake.
August 20: Cops say Emmanuel still hasn’t been found. Police also receive they are probing a fire that broke out near the Haro family home.
August 21: One week since Emmanuel was reported missing. Cops search a home in the Cottonwood Avenue area.
August 22: Jake and Rebecca are arrested and face murder charges. Police continue to search for little Emmanuel.
August 24: Jake, wearing prison overalls, joined cops as they searched an area near the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley. Emmanuel still hasn’t been found
August 26: Rebecca and Jake appear in court for the first time. They are formally charged with murder and filing a false police report.
August 27: Jake gives a jailhouse interview. He claims his wife Rebecca is innocent.
She claimed she was attacked in a Yucaipa parking lot on August 14 while changing Emmanuel’s diaper.
“I woke up on the floor, and my son was gone,” she told the Fox affiliate KTTV-TV.
Rebecca was going to buy a mouth shield for her other son when the alleged ambush happened.
Emmanuel was the youngest of Rebecca’s six kids.
In the days that followed, cops grew suspicious after they said they spotted inconsistencies in her accounts.
Cops searched the family home and the couple handed over their cell phone as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, vigils were held in the local area for Emmanuel.
Stuffed toys and balloons have been seen near the family’s home in Cabazon.
Although Emmanuel’s remains have not yet been discovered, Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin stated that investigators have a lead on the location of the boy’s body.
“We don’t know exactly where the remains are,” he told reporters.
“We have some ideas in terms of where we’re going to look and where we’re going to continue to investigate.”
Jake was seen searching an area of rugged terrain by the side of California’s Freeway 60 on Sunday.
Emmanuel’s body was not found despite the search effort.
Rebecca has also begged cops to allow her to join them in the search for Emmanuel’s body.
Investigators presume Emmanuel is dead and Hestrin suggested the baby may have died from “prolonged abuse.”
Cops fear that Emmanuel may have been killed up to nine days before the missing person report was filed.
He also revealed that prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty against Rebecca and Jake.
“We’re interested in a trial and getting to justice,” Hestrin added.
