Callum Jones
Police have released horrific new details after a 10-year-old girl was found unresponsive on a highway last month, with her father and his girlfriend facing murder charges.
Rebekah Baptise tragically died on July 30, three days after she was found unresponsive at the intersection of two highways in Holbrook, Arizona.
AZ Family reports that the girl was found dehydrated and malnourished by police officers, while Rebekah was missing her toenails when she was discovered, according to prosecutors.
Rebekah's father, 32-year-old Richard Baptiste, as well as his girlfriend, 29-year-old Anicia Woods, have been arrested in connection with her death.
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Apache County Sheriff's Office have charged the Arizona couple with first-degree murder and child abuse, as per court records seen by People.
On Monday (August 4), prosecutors alleged the child was 'tortured' and they claim there were signs Rebekah had been physically and sexually abused.
Rebekah's uncle, Damon Hawkins, spoke to AZ Family in the days after his niece died, claiming she was 'black and blue from her head to toe' and had two black eyes when she was found on July 27.
"She had two black eyes, and they’re thinking the cause of death was because of a hemorrhage," Hawkins added.
Empower College Prep, which the young girl attended with her sibling, reportedly called the Department of Child Safety on Rebekah's behalf a staggering 12 times between November 2023 and January 2025, ABC15 reported.
Officials from the department told People they had received five calls from the school in the past 12 months.
"The other four times the Department was not able to investigate the allegations because they did not meet the statutory threshold for abuse or neglect," they told the outlet.
"We do not have any records that a relative called the Hotline after 2019 to allege abuse or neglect of Rebekah or her siblings."
DCS Arizona told AZ Family they are 'actively collaborating with law enforcement in a joint investigation to ensure that the people responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice'.
Court records do not show whether Baptise and Woods have pleaded guilty or not guilty, while attorney information for the pair is not readily available.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.