In July, 2025, a desperate 911 call reported that a young girl, Rebekah Baptiste was found unresponsive after falling near a wash.
However, when police investigated the tragedy, they discovered that this wasn’t just a simple accident, but it was the heartbreaking end to a long series of abuse and cry for help that had been ignored.
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| Rebekah Baptiste |
The story began on July 27, 2025, when Richard Baptiste and his girlfriend, Anicia Woods, called 911.
They said 10-year-old Rebekah had run away and was found unresponsive after falling near a wash.
But newly released police reports, including
body camera footage from that day tells a different, more desperate story.
When officers arrived, they found the frail and malnourished girl in a gravel parking lot off Highway 180, and they immediately began CPR.
Woods, a former nurse and Rebekah’s stepmother, was caught on camera explaining why she hadn’t performed this critical procedure before calling 911.
“I didn't even think to start CPR. I just thought, ‘Let me keep breathing for her and let’s just go,’” she told officers.
She added that she gave “rescue breaths” through a T-shirt because of a possible STD, saying she was “too scared” to do more.
Her explanation—and their lack of urgent action—quickly raised red flags for the responding officers.
Rebekah was flown to Phoenix Children's Hospital with extensive brain bleeding and placed on life support, but sadly she never recovered.
Doctors quickly determined that the 10-year-old had injuries which covered her head to toe.
They were severe, widespread, and completely inconsistent with falling into a wash.
According to PEOPLE, she was found without toenails, and doctors believe she may have been sexually abused in addition to the physical abuse.
In fact, a doctor at the Children’s Hospital later confirmed that Rebekah’s death was not an accident, but the result of torture, which led to a murder investigation by the police.
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| Rebekah Baptiste |
Criminal investigators later uncovered that there were numerous warning signs long before that July day.
Rebekah was a student at Empower College Prep in Phoenix, and the school’s records showed clear signs that she was a child in distress.
Natalina Mariscal, the school's Director of Student Social Services, described their file on Rebekah and her siblings as "hefty."
“There's a lot of reports from DCS and investigators,” Mariscal said. “There's a lot of visits from outside agencies to support their overall wellness and their safety,” she added.
School officials said they noticed a troubling pattern in the children’s behavior, which led them to involve CPS and other agencies.
“Kiddos had shared that they didn't feel safe going home,” Mariscal revealed.
“And that wasn't just around the holidays, it was just like a random Tuesday.”
They also said the parents repeatedly tried to withdraw the children from school services, "almost trying to isolate them,"
as per 12News
Brian Holman, the school's founder, remembered Rebekah as a caring soul amidst her suffering.
“This is a remarkable young lady who, amidst all of her suffering, cared for her little brothers,” he said. “That she was probably the most caring, mother, caring mother figure,” he added.
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| Anicia Woods and Richard Baptiste |
During the investigation, detectives found a police report from early 2025 which showed that there had been a missed chance to step in and help Rebekah.
On April 10, 2025, a Phoenix police school resource officer went to her home after Rebekah and her brothers had been absent from school for several days.
When the children finally came to the door, officers noticed Rebekah had a black eye.
But her stepmother, Anicia Woods, claimed it happened when she was hit by a ball at a birthday party five days earlier.
According to the police report, the officer thought the explanation sounded “plausible.”
Even though the school had raised concerns about the children’s welfare, the officer wrote: “There is no direct indication of abuse.”
Additionally, no photos were taken of Rebekah’s injury, and the case was closed after a background check showed that earlier DCS reports had also been dismissed.
Tragically, just three months later, Rebekah was dead.
In the wake of the tragedy, Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano promised a reflective look at their procedures.
“We always look at ways we could have done things differently and look for any kind of mistakes we might have made... We're very reflective,” he stated.
Richard Baptiste and Anicia Woods are now both charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
Meanwhile, her school community mourns her loss, and they have planted a tree in her honor.
They have also vowed to amplify Rebekah’s voice that was not heard when she was alive.
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