A ten-year-old girl in Arizona was murdered months after a desperate escape attempt, during which she pleaded with strangers and police to save her from abuse, only to be returned to the home where she later died.
A Desperate Escape Ignored
Nine months before her death, Rebekah Baptiste, then aged nine, jumped from a second-floor window of her family's apartment in Phoenix. She fled to a nearby QuikTrip convenience store, where she told the manager her stepmother, Anicia Woods, was abusing her.
According to a police report, Rebekah detailed punishments that included being made to run laps and being hit with a brush and a belt. She showed officers bruising and red marks on her feet, as well as a bloody lip and marks on her fingers. "It has happened a lot," she told them during an interview at Phoenix Children's Hospital in October.
Despite her injuries and testimony, police concluded the case did not warrant criminal prosecution, citing conflicting accounts from her parents and a lack of witnesses. Rebekah was returned to the care of her father, Richard Baptiste, 32, and Woods, 29.
A Tragic Outcome and Systemic Failures
On July 27, Rebekah was found unresponsive near a highway in Holbrook, Arizona. She was rushed to hospital but died three days later, aged ten, with no family at her bedside.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) stated her death resulted from 'non-accidental trauma'. Doctors reported signs of sexual abuse, severe bruising throughout her body, missing chunks of hair, and possible cigarette burns on her back.
This tragedy occurred despite a history of warnings. Starting in 2015, 12 reports were compiled about Rebekah's safety before her death. Her uncle, Damon Hawkins, said he had repeatedly alerted Child Services, including allegations of sexual abuse about a year and a half prior, but felt they "turned a blind eye to it."
Charges and a Pending Trial
Richard Baptiste and Anicia Woods were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, child abuse, and kidnapping. Prosecutors allege both admitted to hitting the children.
In a court hearing, it was revealed Richard Baptiste said he hit Rebekah 'with the belt approximately 10 times' and admitted using 'excessive force.' Teachers at Empower College Prep, where Rebekah was enrolled until May, said the children invented stories to protect their parents when questioned.
In a statement, the DCS said Rebekah was 'a child who was known to the Department' and acknowledged that those intent on harm can evade protective systems. The couple is scheduled for a court appearance in January, with a trial set for June.
