Jake Haro Sentenced Over 30 Years for Infant's Death

Jake Haro, 32, pleaded guilty on Oct. 16 to second-degree murder, assault on a child and filing a false police report in the death of his 7-month-old son Emmanuel and was sentenced on Nov. 3 to 25 years to life, with additional consecutive terms totaling roughly seven years that bring his total punishment to more than 30 years. Prosecutors say Emmanuel died from prolonged abuse; investigators rejected the parents’ claim that the baby was abducted outside a Big 5 store, and the child’s remains have not been recovered. Haro had been on probation for a 2018 child-abuse case that left an infant daughter permanently disabled, and the judge found him ineligible for leniency. The sentence also includes more than $20,000 in fines and fees and has drawn widespread media and social-media scrutiny. His wife, Rebecca Haro, 41, has pleaded not guilty, remains in custody and has a preliminary/felony settlement hearing scheduled in January. Family members and members of the public attended the sentencing, with relatives calling for accountability and some observers saying the punishment was not harsh enough given the history of abuse.