One year after 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste died near Holbrook, her biological mother is suing the Arizona Department of Child Safety. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges DCS received 19 reports of abuse but never opened an investigation, classifying the reports as information only. Most reports came from Rebekah’s teachers and school resource officers, according to the lawsuit. Rebekah’s father, Richard Baptiste, and his girlfriend, Anicia Woods, are charged with her murder. DCS declined to comment on the pending litigation but called Rebekah’s death a tragedy.
