Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
A dad from California who told police that his seven-month-old son had been kidnapped has been sentenced for his murder.
On 14 August, the Haros claimed that Emmanuel had been kidnapped when his mum, Rebecca, was changing his nappy outside of her parked car in front of Big 5 Sporting Goods in Yucaipa, California.
Rebecca, 41, told KTLA that 'someone took him' during a violent attack she couldn't 'remember' much about, leading to a huge police search for the infant, with his father, Jake Haro, also joining in.
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However, suspicions began to rise for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department due to 'inconsistencies' in Rebecca’s account of the disappearance, along with Jake Haro's previous 2023 conviction for assaulting another child in 2018.
According to The Independent, after Rebecca refused to undergo a polygraph test, a lawyer for the Haro family blamed the inconsistencies on the stress of the situation.
After searching their home and reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area, Jake and Rebecca were arrested on 22 August, with both pleading not guilty.
On 16 October, however, Haro changed his plea to guilty for second-degree murder and has now been sentenced to 25 years to life by Judge Gary Polk at the Riverside Hall of Justice and was charged with one count each of murder, assault on a child under eight, causing death and filing a false police report.
He also has to pay a restitution fine of $10,000 (£7,652).
Rebecca, meanwhile, denies the charges against her and her next hearing is scheduled for 21 January. At the time of writing, Emmanuel’s remains have not been recovered.
The boy's maternal grandmother, Mary Beushausen, told the courtroom that the death had 'destroyed my whole family'.
“He had a second chance,” Beushausen said. “My daughter didn’t have a chance with him. His children didn’t have a second chance.
“I think the judge that let him go should be here sitting with him.”
The judge also said: "While no sentence can possibly vindicate the loss of innocence and life at the hands of Mr. Haro - a man who was supposed to protect these previous and defenceless children against evil and harm, the sentence here is the most the court can do to ensure that as much justice is done as possible."
“The lies told in this case only deepened the tragedy of Emmanuel’s death,” Riverside County district attorney Mike Hestrin added.
“While today’s sentence represents a measure of accountability for Jake Haro, our office will continue to seek justice as the case against his co-defendant moves forward.”
In the 2018 case, Haro was given a suspended sentence and ordered to participate in a work-release program for 180 days after pleading guilty in 2023, according to NBC News.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Anish Vij