Jake Haro, who along with his wife was in the national spotlight after their 7-month-old child went missing in the summer, unexpectedly pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 16, to second-degree murder of baby Emmanuel in the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Rebecca Haro had claimed that Emmanuel was kidnapped by a man who she said knocked her unconscious in the parking lot of a Big 5 in Yucaipa on Aug. 14, kicking off the investigation and what has become a national story.

Thursday’s hearing was expected to be routine, with attorneys discussing a new date for the preliminary hearing.

Indeed, that happened, with Rebecca Haro’s preliminary hearing moved from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3.

But then came a stunning statement from Jake Haro’s defense team that he was changing his plea from not guilty and that he

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