An Arizona father and his girlfriend are facing charges in connection with his daughter’s death. The girl, Rebekah Baptiste, was found unresponsive by police on a highway. Days later, she was dead. Her death exposed extreme amounts of abuse allegedly at the hands of her father. But the abuse was not unknown — family members and former teachers had reported it to the state, but nothing happened. To them, it’s clear the girl was not only a victim of her father but of a state that seemingly did nothing to stop him.
Deputies from the Apache County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an unresponsive child on the highway in Holbrook on July 27, 2025, 12 News reported. Ten-year-old Rebekah was taken to Little Colorado Medical Center for treatment. She was then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she died on July 30.
Her father, 32-year-old Richard Baptiste, and his girlfriend, 29-year-old Anicia Woods, were arrested in connection with her death. According to prosecutors and police, Rebekah was seriously abused and tortured by the couple.
They face charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, per 12 News. Each is being held on a million dollar bond at Apache County Jail.
ABC 15 reported that Richard Baptiste was the one to call police from the highway. Court reports show that police wrote that when they arrived at the highway intersection, Rebekah wasn’t breathing. They could also see bruising and cuts, and she appeared to be malnourished. One doctor described what she endured as “torture.”
The couple told police that the girl had been running away and was seen by a neighbor. “She was black and blue from her head to toe,” the girl’s uncle, Damon Hawkins, told AZ Family. He added that she “had two black eyes, and they’re thinking the cause of death was because of a hemorrhage.”
Hawkins also spoke with 12 News, noting that Rebekah Baptiste told him she was being abused about a year ago. “The stuff we called for a year ago was actually sexual abuse allegations that were being said by Rebekah and other people,” he shared. He immediately reported this to Arizona’s Department of Child Safety.
And the uncle wasn’t the only one. Staff at Empower College Prep, where the girl was a student until recently, said they called DCS 12 times in the last year. At least four times, an investigator was assigned to the case. Rebekah wasn’t the only one being abused; she reportedly had two siblings who were being abused as well.
“I feel very strongly that this was preventable,” Empower Prep Director Becky Jones told 12 News. “Rebekah nor her siblings needed to be subjected to what they experienced. They did not need to endure that, and Rebekah certainly did not need to lose her life.”
DCS released a statement about the girl’s death. “It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the death of Rebeka Baptiste, a child who was known to the Department,” it shared. “Anytime a child in our community is harmed, it deeply affects us all, especially when we know the family. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all children, but tragically, those who intend to harm children can sometimes evade even the most robust systems designed to protect them.
“In response to this incident, the Department is actively collaborating with law enforcement in a joint investigation to ensure that the people responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice,” the statement continued.
Hawkins has created a GoFundMe account to help cover his niece’s funeral costs.
An official cause of death for the girl has not been released, 12 News reported. Per ABC 15, Richard Baptiste and Anicia Woods are expected back in court in September.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
