Father Sentenced for Killing Infant Son
Jake Haro received a 25-year prison sentence on Monday for the torturous death of his 7-month-old son, Emmanuel, whose remains are still reportedly missing.
During the sentencing in Riverside County Superior Court, Haro, displaying visible emotion, shook his head and wiped away tears as the judge delivered the decision.
At 32 years old, Haro’s father also faced consequences, receiving a 180-day jail term and an additional six years and eight months for child abuse and falsifying reports.
The infant Emmanuel was reported missing by his 41-year-old mother on August 14 in Cabazon, California. She claimed a Hispanic man had attacked and abducted her outside a sporting goods store.
Authorities, however, found inconsistencies in her story, leading to police searching the couple’s home and arresting both parents on August 22. Rebecca Haro, the mother, faces murder charges as well but has pleaded not guilty.
Reports suggest that Jake allegedly confessed to a police undercover setup that he killed Emmanuel. He claimed the baby suffocated while sleeping, and he disposed of the body in a trash can.
Prosecutors characterized the crime as premeditated, noting that the Haro couple used their parental role to exploit their especially vulnerable victim.
Jake had a prior child abuse conviction and had been placed on probation. Prosecutors assert he was still incarcerated at that time. In a similar, earlier incident, he had severely beaten his 10-week-old daughter, resulting in lifelong disabilities. Yet, he received only a suspended sentence for that abuse.
Mary Boishausen, Rebecca’s mother, expressed her heartbreak in a victim impact statement, lamenting the years of fear and suffering endured by her grandchildren due to Jake’s actions. She voiced frustration over the leniency shown in earlier abuse cases, insisting that the justice system failed them. “He had a second chance. My daughter didn’t have a second chance with him. His children didn’t have a second chance,” she stated.
