() — The father of Emmanuel Haro has denied that the missing child was a victim of abuse.

Baby Emmanuel was reported missing by his parents, Jake and Rebecca Haro, on Aug. 14 and has not been seen since. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department now believes Emmanuel Haro is dead and both parents have been arrested and charged with murder.

Jake Haro spoke with the Orange County Register from jail and denied Emmanuel Haro was a long-term abuse victim, something investigators said at a news conference on Wednesday. Jake Haro was given a suspended sentence for a separate child abuse case in 2018, allowing him to avoid prison.

Jake Haro says he was ‘the fall guy’

The victim in the 2018 case was Promise Faith, Jake Haro’s daughter with his ex-wife. She was just 10 weeks old at the time of the abuse and suffered numerous injuries, leaving her permanently bedridden.

“I pled guilty because I didn’t have the money to go to trial. … The judge said nobody would believe my side of the story,” Jake Haro told the Register of the case.

“Somehow, they magically convinced me to take this damn plea deal. I was sick of court. The judge knows I didn’t do it. They just railroaded me. I was the fall guy,” he said.

Sources have told ’s Brian Entin that Jake Haro, as a result of a Perkins operation, acknowledged he killed baby Emmanuel and put his body in the trash.

Jake Haro says ‘God is with us’

When asked about assisting search and rescue teams near the 60 freeway and Gilman Springs Road in Moreno Valley, he replied, “I want to talk about it, but I can’t. I was told, don’t do no press.”

Jake Haro said “God is with us” throughout the investigation and told the outlet he understood the public reaction.

“The allegations are horrendous, so of course people are going to be riled up,” he said.

When asked what he would say to Emmanuel Haro, Jake said, “I love you, buddy.”

Rebecca Haro is ‘innocent’

Speaking of his wife, Jake Haro said she is “innocent” of any crimes against their son.

“The media is killing her,” he said. “She is a beautiful woman. She loves her children.”

Rebecca Haro reported to police that she was knocked unconscious, and Emmanuel Haro was subsequently taken from her on Aug. 14 while changing his diaper in a California car park.

She also spoke to the local media from inside jail, standing by her husband and saying she wanted to be out searching for baby Emmanuel too.