Girl, 9, Jumped Out Window and Begged for Help Escaping Stepmom. Months Later, She Was Found Dead on a Highway

A 10-year-old Arizona girl who was found unresponsive on a highway in July had attempted to escape what investigators now describe as an abusive home months earlier, according to newly released reports.

Rebekah Baptiste died on July 30, three days after police in Holbrook, Arizona, found her unresponsive at the intersection of two highways. Authorities later arrested her father, Richard Baptiste, and her stepmother, Anicia Woods, in connection with her death.

Investigators say their case uncovered a documented history of alleged violence against Rebekah inside the home, but child welfare authorities allegedly failed to intervene.

In one incident from October 2024, when Rebekah was 9, she reportedly jumped from a second-story window of her residence, ran to a nearby gas station, and pleaded for help. She told a manager that her stepmother was abusing her, according to reports citing law enforcement.

When officers responded, Richard Baptiste and Woods allegedly claimed Rebekah’s injuries were self-inflicted. She was returned to their custody.

Less than a year later, Rebekah was found on the highway showing signs of extreme abuse. Prosecutors said in court that her toenails had been removed and that she exhibited evidence of severe torture. Authorities also reported that she was severely malnourished.

“She had bruises from head to toe,” Apache County Sheriff’s Office official Kole Soderquist said in court in September. “There were injuries to her vaginal and anus area.”

Investigators previously reported that Rebekah’s school had contacted child services 12 times before her death, but those reports did not result in meaningful action.

Richard Baptiste and Anicia Woods have each been charged with murder, along with multiple counts of child molestation and child abuse, according to online court records. Those records do not list plea information or attorneys for either defendant.