Mother Pleads Guilty in Death of 7-Month-Old Emmanuel Haro

Rebecca Haro pleaded guilty Friday morning to her role in the death of her 7-month-old son, Emmanuel, just before her preliminary hearing was set to begin at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Haro pleaded guilty to three counts: child abuse resulting in great bodily injury, involuntary manslaughter, and accessory after the fact. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the original murder charge. She was sentenced immediately to 12 years and 8 months in state prison.

Prosecutors say Jake Mitchell Haro, Emmanuel's father, was the one who inflicted the fatal injuries. He pleaded guilty in October 2025 to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 32 years to life in state prison. Rebecca, investigators say, became aware of Emmanuel's deteriorating condition, failed to get him medical care, and later helped fabricate a story claiming he had been kidnapped from a Yucaipa parking lot. Investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department say that never happened.

Outside the courthouse after the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Brandon Smith addressed reporters. When asked if the plea felt like a win for his office, he said plainly that it did not. "At the end of the day, an innocent life was lost," he said. Smith also noted that when the judge asked if there were any victim impact statements, there were none, because the two people who should have spoken for Emmanuel, his mother and his father, were the reason he was gone.

Emmanuel's remains have still not been found. Smith said the district attorney's office believes Jake Haro knows where they are, though he is not cooperating. Smith acknowledged they may never recover them.