Hidden True Crime - Inside Jake Haro's Surprising Guilty Plea in the Murder of Baby Emmanuel Haro

Episode Date: October 20, 2025

In a surprising twist, Jake Haro plead guilty to the murder of his 7-month-old son Emmanuel and Lauren is here to break down all of the latest details. Mint Mobile: Ready to say yes to saying no? Make the switch at https://www.mintmobile.com/HIDDEN About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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atora.com slash remove. If you've been following my coverage of the baby Emmanuel Rokays, you know it is one that's shaken this entire community. And honestly, one that has stayed with me ever since I first started talking about it. Well, this week, there has been a brand new update in the case. We have all been waiting. And while it's absolutely heartbreaking, it's not entirely unexpected. After months of speculation, court hearings and a narrative that's changed again and again, Jake Harrow, the father of missing seven,

month old, Emmanuel Harrow has pleaded guilty to killing his baby son. This case has been filled with unanswered questions from the false kidnapping story to the heartbreaking search effort to the disturbing history of abuse that's now come to light. And now Jake stood before a Riverside County Judge earlier this week and admitted to what he had done. Those questions didn't necessarily all get answered, but one major chapter in this case has closed. He has pleaded guilty and it closed in tears. Let's start with what happened Thursday morning, October 16th. Jake and his wife, Rebecca, were both in court in Riverside for what was supposed to be another felony settlement conference, basically a meeting between prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the judge to see if a plea deal could be reached before trial.

But instead of negotiating, Jake made a decision one that changed everything. In a quiet, emotional courtroom, Jake Harrow pleaded guilty to all charges. Yes, all of them. Second-degree murder, assault on a child under eight causing great bodily injury resulting in death, and filing a false police report. reporters inside the courtroom described it as an incredibly emotional scene. According to reporters and public spectators, Jake was crying as he admitted that he had killed baby Emmanuel, his baby boy crying and saying he did this. But Jake was not the only one in tears. Rebecca, who continues to maintain her innocence, well, she was sobbing, sobbing uncontrollably.

One reporter described her breaking down so hard that her attorney had to try to calm her as the hearing ended. And through it all, heartbreakingly, Emmanuel's name wasn't even spoken aloud. He was only referred to the entire time as E.H. or John Doe. Jake is now awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for November 3rd, and he faces up to 50 years to life in prison. But to understand how we got here, we need to revisit the timeline because this story from the very beginning has been filled with twists, confusion, and tragedy. It all started on August 14, 2025, when Rebecca called police from a parking lot outside a Big Five sporting goods store in Yucaypa. And she told deputies that she had been assaulted while changing Emmanuel's diaper near her car and that he had been kidnapped during the attack. Remember that Ola moment?

she said that this kidnapper said, Ola, before knocking her on the ground. Deputies immediately launched a massive search effort. K9 units were brought in, officers combed through the area, and word spread fast. A missing baby, just seven months old. The entire community was desperate to help. But pretty quickly, detectives started noticing something was off,

and so did we here at Hidden True Crime. Rebecca's story changed. Timelines didn't match up. And most importantly, there was no surveillance footage backing up what she had said. Within days, investigators were searching the Harrow's home in Cabazon. They went back multiple times, gathered evidence, and eventually determining the unthinkable that the kidnapping never happened. On August 22nd, both Jake and Rebecca were arrested, and the charges, the charges murder. They weren't minting words.

They weren't even doing lesser charges. It was murder. A few days later, during a press conference, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestron spoke publicly about the case. He said investigators believed baby Emmanuel had been abused over time, continuous abuse, and that he had died as a result of those injuries. But there's still one more major heartbreaking detail. which we've all been wondering about, and that is that Emmanuel's body still has not been found. Investigators have said that they have a strong indication of where his remains might be, but despite multiple searches, including along Highway 60 and areas near the badlands,

nothing has ever been recovered. As the months have gone on, new details emerged not just about what happened to Emmanuel, but about Jake and Rebecca's past. For Jake, especially, there was a disturbing history. Court records show that back in 2018, he was investigated after another baby. His infant daughter from a previous relationship was hospitalized with serious injuries. And I mean serious. Doctors found broken ribs a school fracture and a brain hemorrhage.

Jake told investigators that he had accidentally dropped her on a sink while bathing her. But the injuries told a different story. He ended up pleading guilty to fill any child endangerment in that case. case. And even though prosecutors wanted prison time, a judge sentenced him instead to four years probation and 180 days in jail on a work release program. That decision has since been heavily criticized with DA Hestron saying, quote, if that judge had done his job, Emmanuel would be alive today. It's one of those gun punch moments that makes you stop and wonder how many red flags were missed. And yes, people have pointed out, well, actually, Emmanuel would have

have never been born had Jake Harrow been behind bars, but the sentiment remains the same, that a baby boy would have been kept safe from an abuser, had the abuser been put behind bars. And so how many red flags were missed? You know, I don't know. But then in 2024, Jake was charged again, this time for being a felon in possession of a firearm while still on probation. So by the time Emmanuel went missing this past August, Jake had a long, troubling history of violence and neglect. And now prosecutors have filed an amended complaint, adding new serious allegations. It now states that the murder of baby Emmanuel was specifically planned and carried out with precision.

Wow. Wow. Premeditated, planned, not an accident, on purpose, carried out. with precision. It also says that Rebecca used her credibility as the baby's mother and that both parents exploited an especially vulnerable victim. Those aggravating factors make it clear that prosecutors are treating this as a deliberate calculated act, not a tragic mistake, not a tragic accident. As for Rebecca, she's still fighting her charges. She has pleaded not guilty to the amended complaint, unlike her husband. And her case will continue. Her next felony settlement conference is actually set for later this month, October 28th, and if no plea deal is reached, she'll face a preliminary hearing on November 3rd the same day Jake is sentenced. Rebecca's

defense team insists she wasn't involved and claimed she had no idea what Jake had done. But prosecutors and the amended court documents seem to suggest otherwise. So it will be interesting to see how Rebecca handles things moving forward. Whether she continues to stand by the same story, she's told since day one, or if she finally admits what really happened. Because at this point, it's clear the kidnapping story was a lie. Jake couldn't have killed Emmanuel and her version of events that a stranger assaulted her and took the baby simply can't be true at the same time. Many people have suggested that Rebecca may have been a victim of domestic violence, including our host, Dr. John Matthias, and that's absolutely possible. But even if that's the case, she still must have known

the truth. She certainly knew baby Emmanuel was not kidnapped that day when she said he was. She knew that Jake had hurt Emmanuel. She knew her baby wasn't kidnapped. She knew she wasn't attacked in that parking lot. And the hardest part to reconcile, is that she didn't tell the truth, even when she was safe, even when she had the chance to, even when she was put behind bars away from her possible abuser. She did not tell the truth. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent.

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Protect yourself now at aura.com slash remove. Outside the courtroom, the community has remained deeply affected by Emanuel's case. In Cabazon, where the Haros lived, a memorial site has continued to grow. filled with teddy bears, candles, handwritten notes, and pictures of the smiling baby everyone's been mourning from afar. Earlier this month, deputies responded to a trespassing call after reports that people have been removing items from the memorial, but even that didn't stop people from coming back to add more. One visitor told News Channel 3 that the site had been cleared out by someone who took trash bags and buckets full of items, but within days, the community had already rebuilt it, adding new flowers,

Halloween decorations and heartfelt messages for baby Emmanuel. That small patch of ground has become more than a memorial. It's become a place for people to process the sadness, the anger, the grief, and the feeling that the justice system failed this precious child. Even as Jake's plea brings a sense of progress to the case, so much still feels unresolved because at the heart of all of this is a question. question that haunts everyone. Where is baby, Emmanuel? Despite forensic evidence and repeated searches, there is still no trace of him. And for so many people following this case, myself included, that's what makes it so hard for me to find closure. Jake may have finally admitted guilt. I am so glad that he has admitted guilt. But Emmanuel's story is,

isn't over, is it until he is found? But will we find him? What's next? Jake Harrow will be sentenced on November 3rd and he is facing up to 50 years to life in state prison. Rebecca Harrow will be back in court later this month again with prosecutors pushing forward on their amended charges and new evidence alleging that this was a planned and intentional act. Their surviving two-year-old child remains in the custody of child protective services and baby Emmanuel remains missing. This case, it's hard to talk about, not just because of the violence, but because of what it represents, the complete betrayal of the very role that's supposed to protect and nurture a child. Even in court today, as Jake sobbed and admitted guilt, the person who mattered most wasn't there.

No baby cries, no tiny giggle, just silence. It's impossible to comprehend what that courtroom must have felt like the weight of those words, the grief hanging in the air, the realization that a seven-month-old boy, seven months, never even had a chance. As we wait for sentencing and Rebecca's next hearing, this story still doesn't have an ending. And until baby Emmanuel is found and lead to rest of the heartbreak of this case lingers, I'll be posting updates after Jake's sentencing and Rebecca's next court date appearance at the end of this month. For now, let's all remember baby Emmanuel, a little boy who deserves love, safety, and a future. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions,

pulling details about you from public records and the internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers. It's why you get endless robocalls, and why you get endless robocalls, and why, why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where ORA comes in. ORA actively removes your data from broker's sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web. But ORA goes beyond data protection.

With one app, you get a VPN, antivirus, password manager, spam call protection, dark web monitoring, and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance, all backed by 24-7 U.S.-based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring, or just a VPN. Again, ORA gives you all of it, together, at the same price competitors charge for just one service. Start your free trial today at ORA.com slash remove. Protect yourself now at aura.com slash remove. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the Internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your

information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers. It's why you're you get endless robocalls and why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where ORA comes in. ORA actively removes your data from broker sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web. But ORA goes beyond data protection. With one app, you get a VPN, antivirus, password manager, spam call protection, dark web monitoring, and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance, all backed by 24-7 U.S.-based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring, or just a V-PAT, PN. ORA gives you all of it, together, at the same price competitors charge for just one service.

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