New details have emerged in connection with a 10-year-old Arizona girl found tortured on the side of an interstate last month.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Holbrook police discovered Rebekah Baptiste between Highway 77 and 180, near Arizona, on July 27.
Despite life-saving measures, she passed away days later, on July 30, at Phoenix Children’s hospital.
Authorities arrested Richard Baptiste, 32, and Anicia Woods, 29, following the incident. They are both charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
Prosecutors revealed alarming information in court about the case. Reports indicate the young victim was found with her toenails removed and showed clear signs of torture, according to AZ Family.
Medical documentation, spanning approximately 100 pages, highlighted evidence of sexual abuse, dehydration, and malnutrition.
On August 12, investigators from the Apache County Sheriff’s Office interviewed multiple individuals at Rebekah’s school, Empower College Prep, including nurses, social workers, and teachers.
School officials had reportedly contacted the Department of Child Safety 12 times prior to Rebekah’s death.
Natalina Mariscal, in charge of student social services, informed FOX 10 that the school maintained an extensive file on Rebekah and her siblings, who frequently appeared with bruises.
Documentation suggested that both the Department of Child Safety (DCS) and law enforcement had multiple interactions with the children. Despite these, the children continued to stay with the accused, as DCS reported receiving only five notices from the school, with just one meeting the abuse criteria.
School officials, however, said they saw a pattern of abuse, with the children often showing up to school hungry and dehydrated. Officials said the defendants also withheld their children from programs and services at the school,”almost trying to isolate them.”
“Kiddos had shared that they didn’t feel safe going home,” Mariscal said. “And that wasn’t just around the holidays, it was just like a random Tuesday.”
A Navajo County Sheriff’s Office 33-page incident report indicated that Richard Baptiste told police that he separated from the children’s mother around nine years ago, due to her using drugs.
The report also stated that he had a history with DCS “due to allegations of abuse, neglect and possible sexual abuse.”
Baptiste denied the allegations and claimed that Rebekah had a history of running away from their home, described as a yurt in Conoho with “limited access to electricity and water,” AZFamily reports.
According to FOX News Digital, the family slept on thin mattresses on the floor and heaved jugs of water back to the yurt, from a convenience store located around 15 miles away.
Baptiste admitted that he sometimes disciplined the children with a belt, but attributed their injuries to barbed wires at the property and the children trying to crawl through them.
Woods, who called 911 on July 27 to report she found Rebekah unresponsive, admitted to using a belt on the victim, causing injuries. She also allegedly admitted to changing Rebekah’ss clothes before calling 911 for help.
Police would later find bloody clothing in the family’s home.
Meanwhile, State Senator Werner, who’s also the Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, plans to look into DCS policies after Rebekah and two other children’s deaths, including Emily Pike, 14, and Zariah Dodd, 16.
“We have these awful incidents, and you know, we’re missing something somewhere along the road here,” Werner said, according to ABC 15.
“It is absolutely tragic what happened to these three children and we want change. And I will make sure that we do get change.”
A celebration of life is scheduled at the school Thursday, to honor Rebekah.
The defendants’ next court hearing is on September 4.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Apache County SO]
