The parents of 7-month old baby Emmanuel Haro pleaded not guilty to the murder charges against them in court in California, as Rebecca Haro added a high profile attorney to her legal team.

Rebecca and Jake Haro are facing charges of murder and filing a false report, with prosecutors alleging that their baby died after being “severely abused” over time. Rebecca initially told authorities that her baby had been kidnapped. 

The couple — who are each being held on a $1 million bail — sat on opposite sides of the courtroom on the morning of September 4 during the brief hearing that drew a packed crowd of spectators to the Riverside Hall of Justice, according to The Press-Enterprise.

Rebecca Haro hires high-profile attorney

Jeff Moore, a defense attorney who once defended David and Louise Turpin in another high profile child abuse case, has been added as a member of Rebecca’s legal team, People reports. 

The Turpins’ case made headlines in January of 2018 after their teenage daughter escaped from their house, later dubbed the “house of horrors” by the media, and called police to report that she and her siblings, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 years old, had suffered years of abuse at the hands of their parents.

David and Louise Turpin ultimately pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts and were sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. 

After her arrest in August, Rebecca has continued to proclaim her innocence from behind bars, telling the Southern California News Group in an interview that she would not “give up” looking for her son.

Rebecca initially reported that she was changing Emmanuel’s diaper in the parking lot of a Yucaipa retail store on Aug. 14, 2025 when an unknown male “physically assaulted” her and knocked her unconscious, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. She told law enforcement officers that when she regained consciousness the baby was gone.

Authorities soon discovered what they have described as “inconsistencies” in her story and determined her account was not true. The couple was arrested and charged with murder late last month.

“The filing in this case reflects our belief that baby Emmanuel was abused… over time and that eventually, because of that abuse, he succumbed to those injuries,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a press conference laying out the allegations.

The baby remains missing but Hestrin has said that authorities had a “pretty strong indication” of where Emmanuel’s remains could be.

Jake Haro’s criminal past

According to the district attorney, Jake was arrested in 2018 for child abuse, child neglect and cruelty in connection with the abuse of an infant daughter he shared with his ex-wife. 

That child was left “permanently bedridden” after suffering an acute rib fracture, partial bone fracture of the skull, and brain hemorrhage, among other injuries.

Jake agreed to plead guilty to the charges against him in court and was given a suspended sentence, something that Hestrin called an “outrageous error of judgement by the judge.” 

Jake Haro attended batterer’s treatment program

As part of the sentence, Jake was ordered to attend a year-long batterer’s treatment program, according to The Press Enterprise. Officials with PHS Counseling, who provided the training, reported that Jake attended all 52 classes and made “notable progress.” 

“He is attentive, polite and appropriately interactive in class with other members and (the) facilitator,” one counselor wrote. 

The counselor went on to add that Jake “appears to have understood the lesson material and principles, as evidenced by his sharing,” describing him as being “open and honest” in discussions. 

As part of the report, he was given a score of 1 out of 10, which is reserved for those with the lowest perceived risk of re-offending. 

Supporters show up at Haros’ court hearing

Rebecca didn’t speak during the court proceedings on September 4 while her husband only answered “yes” to one of the judges questions, according to The Press Enterprise. 

Outside the courthouse, supporters gathered to honor Emmanuel.

“I wish he could see what he has now… so much love from different moms,” Carla Jaramillo, a Cabazon resident who was among the crowd, told KABC.

Jazmin Hernandez, who hosts the true crime podcast “Murder by Nature,” was also at the hearing.

She is advocating for the creation of a child abuse registry that would operate much like the sex offender registry in an effort to reduce the effects of child abuse.

“I want to work to make a change to our laws to protect our children,” she told the news outlet. “If there were laws that had that, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. They would have been checked up on.” 

The Haros are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 17.