Authorities believe missing seven-month-old was killed NINE days before parents’ false kidnapping report that led to their arrest on murder charges

Grim new details have emerged in the case of a missing California infant as the young boy’s parents appeared in court to face charges for his murder.

Jake Haro, 32, and Rebecca Haro, 41, appeared in court without representation on Tuesday, when they were formally charged on one count each of murder with malice and making a false police report, a misdemeanor, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The couple have been accused of lying about their seven-month-old son Emmanuel Haro’s disappearance after they pleaded on television with locals to help them find their child.

Rebecca had claimed she was attacked from behind in front of a Big 5 retail store in Yucaipa on August 14.

She told police she regained consciousness with a black eye and no memory of what had happened, before realizing her son was missing.

But inconsistencies in her story led police to determine there was no abduction. Instead, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office believe Emmanuel is dead.

Newly-unsealed court documents obtained by KTLA suggest investigators now believe Emmanuel may have even been dead up to nine days before Rebecca claimed he was abducted.

Unconfirmed reports also claim the 41-year-old mother was seen inside the sporting goods store from where she said Emmanuel was kidnapped days before she reported he was kidnapped.

Shocking court documents suggest Emmanuel Haro, a seven-month-old, may have been dead for up to nine days before his mother reported him missing

Rebecca Haro, 41, was officially charged with one count each of murder with malice and making a false police report, a misdemeanor

Her husband, Jake Haro, is facing the same charges. He appeared in court on Tuesday donning a red prison jumpsuit and dark-brimmed glasses

At the time, she claimed her vehicle has been burglarized in the parking lot and asking if there were any exterior surveillance cameras on the building.

Prosecutors have previously said questions about the couple’s story emerged when witnesses said they saw Rebecca with a black eye the day before the attack.

When police then confronted her about the inconsistencies with her story, Rebecca refused to continue speaking to investigators or take a lie detector test.

Meanwhile, it emerged that a two-year-old child was also removed from the couple’s care for unknown reasons as Jake’s violent past came to light.

He was convicted of felony willful child cruelty in June 2023 after he was arrested in Hemet, California, on October 12, 2018.

Jake was jailed for 180 days and is still working through his 48 months on probation with a 72-month suspended sentence, according to Riverside County Superior Court records.

He was also required to attend a child abuser treatment program.

Multiple people familiar with the crime said his relationship with the child’s mother didn’t end well and that he beat the child so badly she suffered a brain injury and multiple broken bones.

The couple were arrested from their home in Cabazon on Friday morning

But Jake claimed he was giving his baby girl a bath in the kitchen sink and accidentally dropped her, but a doctor’s report said the girl’s injuries did not fit that narrative.

He was also previously acquitted of illegally owning a gun and ammunition as a convicted felon.

As the investigation continued, police seized Jake’s car and analyzed digital and electronic evidence.

The couple were then arrested from their home in Cabazon on Friday morning, when Jake was seen walking barefoot while his wife wore shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals.

Rebecca kept her head low and avoided eye contact with the cameras as she was loaded into the back of a police car.

Still, the mother-of-two insists she is telling the truth about her missing son – saying she wants to be allowed to go free so she can search for him.

‘I will not give up. I will not give up on my baby,’ she told the Orange County Register.

Rebecca Haro also insisted she had a great relationship with her husband and ‘he’s a good dad’.

‘He would never hurt a baby,’ despite his child abuse conviction, she said.

Jake was seen on Sunday helping deputies scour an area off the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley for his son’s remains, which have not yet been recovered

The couple were originally defended in their claims by Vincent Hughes, an attorney who is representing Jake in the child abuse case.

He told the LA Times that Rebecca and Jake ‘just want their son back’ and ‘want people to put in the same effort they’re using to question them to go out and search for Emmanuel’.

Hughes also wrote off the inconsistencies in Rebecca’s story as a result of her being so overcome with emotions about her missing son.

As proof that the couple is trying to work with authorities, Hughes noted that the couple voluntarily surrendered their phones to police and allowed detectives to search their home, when two iPads – including one that had never been taken out of the box – and three Xbox video game consoles were seized.

Jake was also seen on Sunday with police as they searched an area off the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley for Emmanuel’s body.

The baby’s father was dressed in an orange jumpsuit as they scoured the remote field. The search turned up nothing and the infant’s body is yet to be found.

Jake and Rebecca each face a minimum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, but since the charge is murder with malice, they may be eligible for the death penalty

Police blocked off the street as they searched the Haro home for clues about the missing boy

Police were seen sifting through garbage at the house for any evidence connected to the case

Appearing in court on Tuesday, Rebecca’s eyes appeared red and her voice was hoarse as she answered a few questions from the judge.

Her husband, meanwhile, was dressed in a red prison jumpsuit with dark-framed glasses.

They were both represented by the same public defender, and their arraignment was ultimately pushed to next week.

Riverside County Public Defender Brian Cosgrove said the delay should be enough time to ensure they are each appointed separate attorneys, who will then need time to learn more about the case.

It is unclear why Hughes did not represent either Jake or Rebecca on Tuesday.

In the meantime, the couple are being held in lieu of a $1 million bail.

They each face a minimum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, but since the charge is murder with malice, Jake and Rebecca may be eligible for the death penalty.