RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Court TV) — A California father who falsely claimed his infant son had been kidnapped will spend 25 years to life in prison for the child’s murder.
Last month, 32-year-old Jake Haro pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, child endangerment, and filing a false police report in connection with the death of his seven-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro. On Monday, a Riverside County judge imposed a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, plus additional time for related charges.
Defendant Jake Haro appears in Riverside County court for sentencing after pleading guilty to killing his 7-month-old son, Emmanuel. (Court TV)
Emmanuel was reported missing on August 14, 2025. Jake’s wife, 41-year-old Rebecca Haro, initially told deputies she had been attacked in a store parking lot and that her baby was taken. Investigators quickly determined the story was fabricated. Both parents were arrested about a week later.
Rebecca has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and filing a false police report. She is due back in court in January for a felony settlement conference.
Court records show Jake had a prior conviction for child abuse involving another infant with his ex-wife. That child suffered broken bones, a brain hemorrhage, and cerebral palsy. Jake was sentenced to probation and work release in that case — a decision the victim’s grandmother later said should have kept him behind bars.
Before sentencing, Mary Beushausen, Emmanuel’s maternal grandmother, delivered a powerful and emotional statement. She demanded Jake look at her as she described the devastation his actions brought on their family.
MORE | He ‘Destroyed My Family,’ Grandmother Tells Jake Haro at Sentencing
Prosecutor Smith urged the court to impose the maximum penalty, noting that Jake’s lies about a kidnapping wasted law-enforcement resources and that he was already on probation for abusing another child when Emmanuel was killed.
At sentencing, the judge acknowledged that Jake’s attorneys asked for a lighter sentence, citing his early guilty plea. The court rejected that argument, saying the plea did not outweigh “the horror of the circumstances.”
The judge ordered:
- 25 years to life for assault on a child causing death
- 180 days for filing a false police report
- $10,000 restitution fine and additional court fees
- 6 years for his prior child abuse case
- 8 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm
