Parents of missing 7-month-old child appear in court first time since arrest, charged with murder
The parents of Emmanuel Haro -- the 7-month-old child who has been missing for nearly two weeks -- appeared in a California court on Tuesday after they were charged with the baby's murder.
Jake Mitchell Haro, 32, and Rebecca Renee Haro, 41, were arrested at their residence in Cabazon for the murder of Emmanuel, officials said last week. The two have been charged with murder and making a false police report, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office said on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Haro was reported missing on Aug. 14 at approximately 7:47 p.m. local time after his mother "reported being attacked outside a retail store on Yucaipa Boulevard," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Aug. 15.
The parents appeared in court -- with public defenders representing the mother and father -- for less than five minutes on Tuesday, with a $1 million bail set for both. Their arraignment will continue on Sept. 4.
While the child has not yet been located by officials, he is presumed dead and authorities are now searching for his remains.
On Sunday, officials conducted another search for the 7-month-old "along the westbound shoulder of the 60 Freeway, near Gilman Springs Road, in Moreno Valley," with the father of the child and cadaver dogs accompanying detectives. That search concluded after "Emmanuel was not located," authorities said.
Back when Emmanuel was originally reported missing, his mother told officials that "while she stood outside her vehicle, changing the child's diaper, she was physically assaulted by an unknown male and rendered unconscious," authorities said.
When she woke up, the child was gone, the mother said at the time, according to officials.
Once on the scene, scent-tracking dogs were deployed, but the 7-month-old "was not located," officials said.
The sheriff's department interviewed "multiple individuals" regarding the disappearance, including the child's parents.
Since then, officials noted that they have conducted "extensive" searches in the areas of Yucaipa and Cabazon and have also served "several search warrants at the Haro home." Authorities also previously said they were reviewing a "large amount of surveillance video" from the areas of interest.
In an interview with Los Angeles ABC station KABC prior to her arrest, Rebecca Haro described her son as a "happy boy" and begged whoever has her son to "give him back to me."
"Please don't hurt my son," she told KABC on Aug. 16.
The father, Jake Haro, previously pleaded guilty to willful cruelty to a child following a 2018 arrest, KABC reported.
"Whoever took our son, please bring him back," Jake Haro told KABC on Aug. 16.
Rebecca Haro is currently held at the Robert Presley Detention Center, while Jake Haro is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, according to jail records. Both are currently held without bail, the sheriff's office said.
The names of the public defenders representing the parents were not immediately clear.
