Hidden True Crime - New Evidence, New Hearings, New Searches & Family Secrets | Missing Emmanuel Haro Updates

Episode Date: September 16, 2025

As the search for baby Emmanuel Haro continues while his parents remain behind bars, new details have continued to come out. 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

My name is Lauren Matthias, and it has been a couple of weeks since we last talked about the case of baby Emmanuel Haro here at Hidden True Crime. But let me be very clear. That doesn't mean we've forgotten about baby Emmanuel. He is still out there somewhere. And the people responsible haven't yet been held accountable. Until that happens, his story must keep being told. Because when a baby goes missing, when a life so fragile and pure is taken from the safety they deserve, we can't just move on. We can't let his name fade into yesterday's headlines.

As the days continue to pass, the questions grow louder. Where is Emmanuel? When will we have answers? Today, I'm going to bring you a few important updates, but above all, I am keeping Emmanuel's story alive because until he has found and until there is justice, there is no ending to this story. And we are watching, we are listening,

we will continue to follow. According to newly filed court documents, Riverside County prosecutors now believe Emmanuel, may have died up to nine days before Rebecca reported him kidnapped from the Big Five parking lot in Yucpa, California. They've listed his possible date of death as sometime between August 5th and August 14th, the very day Rebecca told police he was abducted. On Thursday, September 4th, Jake and Rebecca Harrow appeared at the Riverside Hall of Justice for their arraignment, where they both entered not guilty pleas to murder.

The couple said little during the hearings seated on opposite sides of the courtroom, and each represented by separate attorneys. Jake is now being defended by the public defender's office, including attorneys Alison Lowe and Paulette Garthwaite. Well, Rebecca is represented by court-appointed attorney Jeff Moore. But here's the twist. Both Allison Lowe and Jeff Moore are lawyers known for representing, are you ready for this?

David and Louise Turpin, the infamous couple who tortured and abused 12 of their own children before being sentenced to 25 years to life. During the proceeding, Moore pointed out to Superior Court Judge Gary Polk that the alleged crimes took place in Cabazon, which is closer to the Banning Justice Center than Riverside. He suggested the case might be more appropriately tied there and Judge Polk told him he was free to file a motion on the matter. Since Jake is also facing an older case out of banning where he was charged with being a felon on probation in possession of a gun and ammunition, his public. defender asked that attorney Vincent Hughes, who had been handling that matter, be removed. Well, the public defender's office will now represent Jake in both cases.

The judge, as well as Jake himself, agreed to the switch. Jake's attorney also filed a motion requesting confidential contact visits. These are private, unmonitored meetings between an inmate and an approved visitor, very different from standard visits, which are typically supervised and recorded. In a confidential contact visit, conversations are not tracked. It's an unusual request and it raises questions. Who does Jake want to meet with privately? And exactly what does he want to talk about?

Could it be tied to what really happened to his son, Emmanuel, or even where this baby, this missing baby boy might be? We can only speculate at this point. Jake has also been transferred out of the Smith Correctional Facility and into the Southwest Detention Center in Marietta, California. It's a facility specifically designed to house inmates considered high security risks. The next time Jake and Rebecca Harrow are expected in court is September 16th. That's coming up for their felony settlement conference. This is a hearing where the prosecutor, defense, and judge meet to see if the case can be resolved without going to trial.

It's essentially a discussion of possible plea deals with the judge weighing in on how strong the case looks and what kind of sentence might realistically be expected. Now, if both sides agree, the case could end with a plea bargain. And if not, and in a case like this, it's very likely not, it will move forward. That leads directly into the next day, September 17th, when both Jake and Rebecca are scheduled for their preliminary hearings. Now, unlike a trial, this stage isn't about proving guilt or innocence. Instead, the prosecutor lays out the evidence and calls witnesses while the defense has a chance to cross-examine and challenge what's presented. The judge's role is only to decide whether there's enough evidence to establish probable cause that a crime was committed and that these defendants are likely responsible. If the judge rules there is, there is probable cause, the case will then advance toward trial.

In our past videos and episodes, we've discussed how harshly the district attorney's office, specifically D.A. Mike Hestrin, criticized the judge who handled Jake Harrow's earlier case, the one tied to the severe abuse that left his daughter permanently disabled. Judge Dwight Moore sentenced Jake to 180 days in a sheriff's work release program, 52 weeks of child batterers counseling, four years of probation, and six years suspended. prison term that Jake didn't have to serve as long as he didn't violate any laws. Jake actually only in the answer of 91 days on weekends before being freed. And since Hestron's scathing remarks about the judge, however, several advocates have stepped forward to defend the judge and to point out that the DA's own office may share some responsibility. While Hestron has placed the blame squarely on the judge, Judge Moore, these advocates argue that prosecutors also played a role in allowing Jake to remain free, free enough, they say,

to later harm baby Emmanuel. Officials with the San Bernardino Riverside chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates or Abota responded directly to Hestrian's criticisms of Judge Dwight Moore. At a press conference, Hestrian had described Moore's ruling as absolutely outrageous, claiming that Jake should have been behind bars and that Emmanuel would be alive today if Moore had done his job. Jaycaro pled straight up to the court, which sometimes reporters get this wrong, and you call it a plea bargain. Judges are not allowed to plea bargain. Defendants can plea bargain with the prosecutor, but when a defendant pleads up to the court, they plead to everything

that they've been charged with, and they're essentially throwing themselves on the mercy of the court. In this case, a judge here in Riverside County happened to have been a visiting judge from San Bernardino County, gave Mr. Harrow a suspended sentence, which means, if I can translate for you what that is, it means that instead of sending him to prison, he chose to give him probation and suspend prison time sort of over his head, meaning that if you violated his probation, he would then go to prison. My prosecutor in the courtroom objected to that and said on the record, we object. We think it's a prison case. You should send him to prison. prison and the judge decided as is the judge's right to do in that case he decided that

mr. Harrow deserved an extra break and gave him probation and basically 180 days of work release which ends up being like community service I will say that it was an out outrageous an outrageous error in judgment by this judge and I don't have any saying that. I'm not attacking the judge personally. That decision was absolutely outrageous. Mr. Hauer should have been in prison at the time that this crime happened. And if that judge had done his job as he should have done, Emmanuel would be alive today. And that's a shame and it's an outrage. And I hate to say that. But when our criminal justice system breaks down, I'm going to just call it like it is and tell you it broke down. It's not how.

it's supposed to work. A voter countered in a September 4th release titled, quote, facts matter, get the complete and accurate picture. They argued that Judge Moore's sentence was within legal bounds consistent with guidelines, allowing for prison terms of two, four, or six years. The group further claimed that prosecutors had failed to push for prison time or to keep Jake in custody following his 2024 arrest for allegedly being a felon in possession of a firearm. The statement read, quote, it appears from the facts that the Riverside DA has taken a

passive approach to this case and is now shifting blame to the judge. The truth is that the judge exercised his judicial discretion, which was totally appropriate, end quote. Judge Moore himself noted that he could not discuss the specifics of the case, but admitted, quote, in 18 years, this is the first time I've been taken to task in this manner about a decision I've made, end quote. Since Heston's public remarks, Moore has also reportedly been receiving death threats. The trial advocates explained that Moore wasn't the original judge on the case. He was assigned later through the temporary assigned judges program to oversee a mandatory settlement conference. In these situations, judges are typically given only the charging documents

and depend on attorneys to provide details that might influence sentence. So aboda stressed that prosecutors never brought up the victim's permanent injuries, nor did they file a great bodily injury enhancement, which would have prevented more from accepting a plea deal in the first place. During sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Sam Tayola made only a brief objection citing the seriousness of the child's injuries and noting that the prosecution's offer had been prison time. Judge Moore acknowledged her objection, but explained that his ruling, left, Jake under a suspended sentence warning him, quote, if he violates, he'll end up going to prison for a lot longer than if I had taken the DA's deal. I'm giving you a chance. Don't mess it up.

Good luck. Harrow responded, thank you. So one trial advocate criticized the prosecution's performance as lacking intensity. They said, quote, you didn't see a lot of zealous, detailed advocacy. A strong argument would have involved outlining each of the child's injuries and, explaining why the defendant deserved a harsher sentence. What we saw instead was just a generic objection, end quote. Abota also highlighted that prosecutors had later opportunities to ensure Jake served prison time. So in July 2024, he was arrested on a firearm charge and cited for probation violations, a stance that could have triggered the suspended prison sentence. There you go. That's all you need. But probation violation hearings were postponed five times,

including the most recent on July 2nd, 2025, less than two months later on August 26th, Jake and Rebecca were arrested in connection with Emmanuel's disappearance. Aboda's release pointed out, quote, the DA did not oppose a continuance. When Jake Harrow violated his probation in August 2024, he was immediately jailed, but posted bail on both the new gun case and the probation violation. The district attorney's office has since issued its own response on September 11th, insisting that Judge Moore was fully aware of the heinous and permanent nature of the baby girl's injuries at the time of sentencing. So let's read that statement. It's titled, quote, statement to the media and our community members regarding clarification and accountability in the prior case of Jake Harrow.

And it reads, I will quote here, there has been a significant amount. of misinformation circulating regarding the handling of the prior criminal case against Jake Harrow. As the district attorney's office, we have conducted a thorough internal review of how this case was managed and we wish to clarify several critical points to ensure the public receives an accurate understanding of the facts. It is important to recognize that our office believe the charges could have been more severe based on the nature and extent of the victim's injuries. Had the case gone to a preliminary hearing, it is highly likely we would have sought amendments to increase the charges. However, Mr. Harrow pled

guilty prior to that stage and the final plea was presented to and accepted by the court. Prior to any plea to the court in the previous case, we strongly objected to the proposed sentence, a probationary term with 180 days in a work release program with the prison sentence suspended. We made this objection in open court and on the record. Our objection, was based on the seriousness of the injuries Mr. Harrow inflicted on his then 10-week-old daughter. When the court chose to deviate from the people's insistence that Mr. Harrow deserved prison time for his actions, it was acutely aware of the heinous and permanent nature of this young victim's injuries. The availability of more serious charges does not change, but the facts dictated the appropriate punishment should be.

No one has denied that the court. court has had the discretion to make the decision to grant Mr. Harrow probation. We believe that granting Mr. Harrow probation under these circumstances on these facts was an inappropriate use of that discretion. And that was the basis of our objection. Our office's primary focus remains providing justice for baby Emmanuel. It is essential that we do not lose sight of who is truly responsible for the loss of life. At issue in this case, a focus our, and and focus our time and energy on ensuring justice for baby Emmanuel, end quote. To me, this felt like a subtle clapback at Aboda.

The DA's office basically doubled down saying Judge Moore was aware of the extent of the victim's injuries and that prosecutors had done what they could on their end. And their position has not changed. They still believe Judge Moore misused his discretion and sentencing. At the same time, though, the DA's response, seemed like an effort to ease some of the tension and shift the focus. They reminded everyone not to get lost in the back and forth between attorneys and judges, but instead to stay centered on who's truly responsible for these crimes and on making sure justice is served. We've also

learned new details that may shed light on how Jake Harrow became the person capable of committing such abuse. Criminal Defense Attorney Alexandria Kazarian appeared on Ashley Banfield and discussed Jake's troubled childhood, explaining that he was removed from his parents due to ongoing drug use and domestic violence in the home. Cazarian said, quote, this seems like a longstanding cycle of abuse within the family. Reports indicate that his grandfather struggled with mental illness and his mother had addiction issues. She left him in the care of his grandfather, who was clearly unfit, while there were also ongoing domestic conflicts between his parents, and quote. So, By the time Jake was 13 years old, Kizaria noted that he and his siblings had been taken from

their biological parents and placed within adoptive family. So as my co-host, criminal psychologist, Dr. John Matthias, explained here, right here, hidden true crime when discussing this case, growing up in an environment filled with neglect, addiction, and domestic violence can have long-lasting effects on a child's emotional and behavioral development. And John did suspect that Jake Harrow grew up in a violent home. And now we know this is true. In J. Caro's case, being left in the care of an unfit grandfather witnessing domestic

conflict and experiencing instability at home, it all could have contributed to patterns of anger, mistrust, and poor impulse control. And when these childhood traumas aren't addressed, they can carry over into adulthood, sometimes leading individuals to repeat the cycle of abuse that they experienced. And while this does not in any way excuse J. Carrow's actions at all, It does help explain the hidden motives, which is what we do here at Hinden 2 crime, and how a person exposed to prolonged trauma and instability could become capable of harming others in a similar way. And ultimately, as we know, Jake horrifically abused his baby girl and was required to complete parenting classes. Interestingly, reports from two counselors who oversaw his participation painted a very different picture of his behavior during the program.

counselor Stephen DeHaye wrote on July 18th, 2024 that Jake was quote, attentive, polite, and appropriately interactive in class with other members and facilitators. DeHaye added that Jake, quote, appears to have gained self-insight, an awareness into his parenting style, and benefited from his mandated program.

In the child abuse class, Jake earned a perfect score receiving seven out of seven for attitude and in the category of child abuse, as well as high marks in areas like child welfare and parenting skills. Another counselor, Merna Johnson, reported in 2023 that Jake described his discipline methods as relying on logical and natural consequences, giving children limited choices to encourage decision-making and using positive reinforcement. She noted that his rules were stable and adjusted as his children matured.

Based on her assessment, Johnson concluded that Jake's likelihood of abusing a child, if this was low. Low, that's what she said. As we now know, despite the glowing reports from his counselors, it doesn't appear that Jake actually changed. It's clear that he may have continued to be abusive and now toward Rebecca and baby Emmanuel, or at the very least contributed to the circumstances that led to Emmanuel's disappearance.

It's possible the counselor's assessments were misled by Jake's manipulative behavior. Some individuals who have been abusive can present them. themselves, as we all know, as attentive, polite, or self-aware when under observation, giving the impression that they've learned lessons they haven't truly internalized. In Jake's case, the positive reports about his parenting skills and low risk for future abuse may have reflected his ability to perform well in a structured short-term setting rather than any meaningful change in behavior. This mismatch between reported progress and reality highlights a dangerous gap, while the counseling program may have recorded high scores,

it ultimately did little to prevent him from harm Emanuel. It's a stark reminder that mandated programs can sometimes fail to detect underlining patterns of manipulation or abuse and that appearances in a controlled setting don't always reflect what happens behind closed doors. And this is actually what my co-host, Dr. John Matthias' specific job is. His job is to assess recidivism or risk factors. if someone would reoffend or not reoffend, to say whether low risk, moderate risk or high risk.

And so now that we have this information more about Jake Harrow's past, as well as what his counselor said, Dr. John Matthias will be taking another close look at this. So hit subscribe and hit notifications as we continue to follow along these hidden motives. And now, though, the search for baby Emmanuel continues. news, with answers remaining frustratingly out of reach. Rumors have swirled about possible search locations, and on Saturday, September 13th,

Good Day, LA reporter Gigi Grosciet, shared that one of those rumored sites is the Lambs Canyon landfill in Beaumont. In a Facebook post, Gigi wrote that she asked the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department about the landfill weeks ago. Officials confirmed no search had been conducted there, but they didn't completely rule it out.

out. What they did confirm is that investigators have gathered videos from multiple businesses and locations, though they won't release exactly where. We know the felony complaint against the Haro states that authorities believe Emmanuel may have died sometime between August 5th and August 14th, and if tragically, he had been placed in a landfill. By the time detectives arrived, the trash could have already been compacted and buried beneath tons of debris and soil, especially given how much time has passed now. Whether or not Emmanuel, well, was ever placed in the landfill, maybe something the state will reveal

during the preliminary hearing next week, as well as any other theories. As we heard in the press conference, investigators have urged the public not to search on their own warning of dangerous terrain and the risk of disturbing potential crime scenes. But despite these warnings,

the heartbreak and urgency of this case have spurred people to find safe ways to help. One example is a YouTube channel called J.P.'s Mysteries and Adventures, which focuses on helping locate missing people. Recently, the channel has been using a drone to scan areas near the Harrow home and the site Jake led police to providing extra eyes over vast stretches of land.

It's a reminder of how much this community cares and how desperately everyone wants to bring baby Emmanuel home. But with that said, that's all the updates we have for now. Again, we will continue to follow this story closely and we'll be covering everything that unfolds during. the preliminary hearing. And we will wait and look forward to hearing from Dr. John Matthias as well about everything we continue to learn about Jake and Rebecca Harrow. May justice be served.