Rebekah Baptiste passed away. She was 10. Her mother is now suing the state, and the lawsuit says there were 19 chances to get her out.
Rebekah was found unresponsive in northern Arizona on July 27, 2025 and flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she passed three days later. Her father, Richard Baptiste, and his girlfriend, Anicia Woods, are charged with first-degree murder. Neither has been convicted.
The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court by her biological mother, who did not have custody at the time. It alleges the Department of Child Safety took at least 19 reports of abuse over 18 months. Teachers, school nurses, hospital staff, police officers and a gas station worker. The complaint says the agency logged them as information only or closed them as unsubstantiated and never removed her from the home.
One allegation in the complaint stands out. Rebekah ran to a QuikTrip and asked for help. Police photographed her injuries and Phoenix Children...
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