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Newly released police records show 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste asked for help months ago She was allegedly killed Her father and his girlfriend disclosed an early report of abuse in Arizona, which was closed despite being documented.
According to Fox 10 Phoenix, A Phoenix police report details a 911 call made from a local gas station in October 2024, approximately nine months before Rebecca was found unresponsive. The child approached a gas station attendant and asked for help, prompting police to respond, the report states.
Rebecca told officers that her father’s girlfriend, Anisia Woods, hit her with a brush and a belt as punishment and forced her to run laps and endure other physical punishment for “poor performance,” police wrote. Police documented apparent injuries and Rebecca was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she was treated for a bloody lip and bruises on her hands and feet, the report said.
Despite the child’s statements and her injuries, investigators closed the case after her father, Richard Baptiste, and Woods told police the injuries were self-inflicted, the outlet reported.
911 calls, police reports detail dark timeline of Arizona girl’s tragic death
The father and girlfriend of 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste are facing murder charges after she died of severe injuries off the grid in rural Arizona. (go support me)
On July 27, 2025, Rebecca was found unresponsive outside near a remote campsite. Concho, ArizonaInvestigators said the family had been living in a yurt without electricity or running water after moving here from Phoenix earlier this month. The family slept on thin mattresses on the floor and carried water in plastic jugs from a convenience store about 15 miles away, according to investigators.
A 36-page probable cause affidavit from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office details what detectives describe as escalating abuse and Rebecca’s multiple attempts to escape. The girl had previously jumped out of a window while living in Phoenix and attempted to escape multiple times after moving to Concho, including the day she was taken to the hospital, records show.
Despite Rebecca’s apparent physical deterioration, including being too weak to drink from a straw, Woods, who said she had a nursing background, told investigators she believed the girl “was going to be fine” and did not seek immediate medical care.
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When first questioned, both Woods and Baptiste denied knowing what had caused Rebecca’s condition, suggesting she may have fallen. Medical professionals later discovered extensive signs of abuse, including brain hemorrhages, burn marks, missing toenails and hair, and multiple cuts and bruises, according to investigators.
A previously reviewed 911 call from July 27 showed Woods referring to Rebecca as her daughter and claimed she was providing artificial respiration, but the dispatcher noted that she had not yet begun chest compressions and hesitated to place the child on solid ground, citing nearby rocks. Emergency crews arrived, but Rebecca succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead days later at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Investigators wrote that when a detective showed Baptiste “horrific photos” of his daughter’s injuries, he “expressed no emotion.” Detectives added that it was impossible for the parents not to notice the extent of their children’s injuries.
Authorities said Baptiste later admitted to hitting Rebecca with a belt as punishment for running away, but he denied causing her head injuries. Detectives also reported finding blood-stained clothing in the family’s tent, which had been changed before emergency services were contacted.
Baptiste and Woods now both face Level 1 Murder and multiple child abuse chargesincluding allegations involving two of Rebecca’s younger siblings. Prosecutors also allege Rebecca suffered ongoing physical and sexual abuse.
Concerns for the children’s safety were raised numerous times before Rebecca’s death. As previously reported, school officials at Empower College Prep contacted the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) at least 12 times over two years, including after Rebecca was unaccountably absent from class.
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Rebekah Baptiste’s memorial plaque features a tree she planted in her outdoor garden, dated December 20, 2014, to July 30, 2025. (Empowering College Preparatory Elementary School)
The day after Christmas, the school she attended for two years remembered Rebecca with a tribute posted on its Facebook page. School officials described her as smart, compassionate and a natural leader, noting that she received the Star of the Pack award for embodying the school’s core values.
In her honor, the school planted a tree with pink flowers, surrounded by a rock garden built out of stone by staff and students, and displayed a decorative crane donated by a staff member. The school said the tributes allow students and staff to remember her every day.
DCS has since launched a review of whether the agency failed to adequately protect the child. Gov. Katie Hobbs also pledged to fully investigate the case amid growing public concern.
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State Sen. Carine Werner cast Rebecca’s case as part of broader failures within Arizona’s child protection system, calling the deaths of three children who had previous contact with DCS a “wake-up call.”
Warner said the September stakeholder meeting was part of a multi-phase review process that included testimony from families, tribal representatives and child welfare experts as lawmakers weighed possible reforms.
Fox News Digital contacted DCS and Phoenix police.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
