A newly obtained report from the Navajo County Sheriff's Office details the "horrendous conditions" prosecutors allege Rebekah Baptiste endured. It also details the interviews with the 10-year-old's dad, Richard Baptiste, and girlfriend, Anicia Woods, who are now charged with murder and child abuse.
On July 27, a Holbrook police report shows officers met the Baptiste family at an intersection. There, officers found Rebekah not breathing and severely injured. In their reports, officers noted that Rebekah had bruises and appeared malnourished. The young girl was transported to Phoenix Children's hospital and died three days later on July 30.
NEIGHBORS SPEAK OUT
Prior to the move, the family had been living in a central Phoenix apartment complex.
"She was a beautiful, beautiful soul," said Lily Mejia. "She would literally be the protector of the kids."
Meija lives in the complex and showed ABC15 a card Rebekah wrote to her daughter. She said Woods tried to throw away Rebekah's toys, but Meija's kids kept some, hoping to return them to Rebekah.
Several neighbors lined candles up outside the Baptiste family's previous apartment, wanting to honor the 10-year-old.
Many shared stories about Rebekah's kindness and curiosity. ABC15 was told by Mejia, who moved in a few months ago, that her family saw a Baptiste child once with a black eye. She said people in the complex were provided with a story behind the bruise by one of the siblings.
Neighbors said they did hear Rebekah had tried to jump out of a two-story window and saw the Baptiste kids running laps for punishment "without water".
One neighbor said now she feels guilty and has been replaying interactions with the kids, feeling like they were possibly trying to ask for help
NAVAJO COUNTY REPORT
The report, released by the Navajo County Sheriff's Office, paints a picture of daily life for Rebekah and her two siblings. Baptiste moved the family to rural Apache County to live on land he said belonged to his family. There, the report said they were living in a Yurt without reliable electricity and no shower.
Baptiste and Woods described behavioral issues with Rebekah during their interview with detectives. The couple said the kids had, at one time, been in foster care for three to four years.
Woods said that due to the issues with Rebekah, they had to change the sleeping arrangement in their apartment. She described a "room" to detectives that she alleged had been approved by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.
"She stated it was made up of two shelves, 'like regular shelves from Walmart', on the back side, they put up plywood and they hung a painter's matt," the report reads. "Describing it as going from the ceiling to the floor. She stated there was a baby gate in the doorway of the 'room' and positioned on top of the baby gate was a Wi-Fi camera."
The couple detailed multiple times that Rebekah had tried to run away while living at their new home and also shared that Rebekah had tried to leave out of their window when they lived in Phoenix.
They said on July 27, Rebekah had run away and been found in a wash by a neighbor.
The new report said detectives were told Rebekah had a "brain bleed" and chunks of hair appeared to be pulled out of Rebekah's head.
At one point, detectives received pictures of the 10-year-old's injuries.
"I have investigated countless assaults, fights, domestic violence incidents and other incidents of child abuse. I had never seen anything like the photos of [Rebekah's] injuries," wrote one detective. "From head to toe, I saw injuries on [Rebekah's] body."
During their interviews, detectives pressed the couple on details of the day and the injuries Rebekah had. Some of their questions included why the family had stopped for gas and changed Rebekah's pants before seeking help.
In their report, detectives note the couple's lack of emotion even when Baptiste was shown the pictures of his daughter's injuries.
Eventually, the report said both Baptiste and Woods tell detectives they punished Rebekah using a "belt", but Baptiste allegedly admits to using "excessive force".
The couple denied other allegations.
"Richard also disclosed a history of involvement with the Department of Child Safety (DCS) due to allegations of abuse, and possible sexual abuse," detectives note in the new report. "Richard advised each claim to DCS was unsubstantiated."
Detectives wrote in their report that at one point, Baptiste said he did not "deserve to be a father" and that he should face consequences.
CALLS FOR CHANGE
Rebekah and her siblings attended Empower College Prep. School officials say they made reports to DCS regarding abuse and neglect by the parents of Rebekah Baptiste twelve times, specifically on January 22, January 16, and January 15 of 2025, November 16, October 31, October 30, September 16, September 13, and February 13 of 2024, and on December 13, November 3, and November 2 of 2023.
A DCS spokesperson told ABC15 that their records showed Empower School called the hotline five times in the past year, and of those calls, just one of the allegations met statutory report criteria.
"The other four times the Department was not able to investigate the allegations because they did not meet the statutory threshold for abuse or neglect," DCS spokesperson Darren DaRonco said in an email.
Phoenix police also sent ABC15 a list of incidents they responded to at the Baptiste household, including four in the last two years. Our team was told that DCS was also contacted by officers each time.
This week, ABC15 asked DCS for an interview, and we are still waiting for a response.
Baptiste and Woods are due back in court in Apache County on September 4 for a preliminary hearing.
