They found her on the side of the road in terrible condition. The 10-year-old had been trying to escape the hell for a long time.
On Sunday, July 27, 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste was found unconscious and with "serious injuries" on the side of a highway in Holbrook, Arizona (USA). She died three days later in the hospital. No one was with her at the time. Investigators' findings in this case are horrifying.
Horror in Arizona. A 10-year-old girl was found on the side of the road. A doctor describes the "torture" she endured.The girl's father, Richard Daniel Baptiste, 32, and his partner, Anicia Woods, 29, were arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in the deaths of their three children, Rebecca and her two younger brothers. Both boys are currently in state custody.
Rebecca's uncle, Damon Hawkins, told AZ Family that when she was found, she was "black and blue from head to toe" and had black eyes. Investigators revealed that the girl was malnourished and dehydrated, had bruises all over her body, and was missing toenails. One doctor used the word "torture" to describe what had happened to her earlier.
They moved to the countryside and lived in a tent. Little Rebekah had been desperately begging for help for a long time.Rebecca's family had recently moved to rural Apache County, where they lived in a yurt without running water or electricity. According to a police report obtained by ABC15 Arizona, the couple allegedly forced the children to run laps around the property as punishment. Neighbors were reportedly horrified by these methods.
Rebecca herself allegedly begged teachers not to tell her to go home, and once—as reported by The Mirror—she even jumped from a two-story apartment building. Could she have pleaded for help more clearly?
Could this tragedy have been prevented? "They failed completely.""They didn't do enough to protect her. They completely failed," Rebecca's uncle, Damon Hawkins, reportedly told AZ Central.
Empower College, the preparatory school where Rebecca and her brothers attended until May of this year, reported that its staff contacted the Department of Child Safety (DCS) 12 times between November 2023 and January 2025, yet no action was taken.
DCS officials, in a statement sent to People magazine, claimed that they had received only five reports from the school over the past year, only one of which met statutory criteria for child neglect or abuse. The statement emphasized that the DCS Safety Review Team will thoroughly investigate the matter to identify any systemic gaps and implement changes to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
(Source: The Mirror, People, kold.com, AZ Central)
On Sunday, July 27, 10-year-old Rebecca Baptiste was found in terrible condition on the side of the road. The girl had previously been through hell.
/5One of the doctors even used the word "torture" to describe what happened to little Rebecca before her death.
The father and his partner were charged with abusing Rebecca and her two younger brothers.
Rebecca's father, Richard Daniel Baptiste, 32, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse against three children.
Rebecca's father's partner, Anicia Woods, 29, was also arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.
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