10-year-old girl died after her father and stepmother, who made her jump from a second-story window as she desperately tried to seek help and escape the abuse, beat her to death; couple charged

Arizona – In a harrowing case in Arizona that continues to expose the devastating consequences of prolonged child abuse and systemic failure, a 32-year-old father, identified as R. Baptiste, and his 29-year-old girlfriend, identified as A. Woods, are now facing upgraded charges, including first-degree murder, child abuse, and child molestation, in the death of his 10-year-old daughter, who died on July 28, 2025, after years of what authorities describe as relentless physical and emotional torment.

Baptiste and Woods remain in custody and are awaiting trial. Both are accused not only of the 10-year-old girl’s death but also of abusing and neglecting her younger siblings, ages 8 and 6. The new allegations, revealed in updated court documents and a police report released by authorities, provide an even clearer picture of the girl’s desperate attempts to survive the abuse before her life was tragically cut short.

According to a newly released police report, the 10-year-old girl ran away from home in October 2024, months before her death, and approached strangers for help. She first contacted a homeless individual and pleaded with them to help her escape. From there, she ran to a nearby gas station, where she told the clerk she was being abused by her stepmother. Police were called, and the 10-year-old was taken to a hospital. There, she told an officer that Woods had hit her on the hands and feet with a brush. The report confirms the young victim made clear disclosures of abuse. However, despite the alarming nature of her claims, the investigation was eventually closed, with Baptiste and Woods telling officers her injuries were self-inflicted. The system once again failed to intervene decisively.

During a court hearing in September 2025, it was revealed that the 10-year-old girl had jumped out of a second-story window to flee the home in an apparent attempt to put an end to the abuse she endured. Prosecutors allege that this was one of multiple escape attempts made by the girl, who they say endured routine and extreme punishments disguised as discipline. As previously reported, teachers had raised repeated alarms about the condition of the girl and her siblings. School staff noted visible scratches, bruises, and other injuries, and described disturbing behavior that suggested fear and manipulation. One child initially told staff, “My mom was mad at me and accidentally scratched me,” but immediately reversed the story to claim he had fallen. Educators reported the children often arrived at school hungry and appeared neglected.

The discipline inside the home, according to court documents, included forced laps, planks, and deprivation of food and water. The children were allegedly forbidden from using the bathroom and forced to run as punishment. The physical discipline reportedly escalated in intensity in the months leading up to the young girl’s death. On July 27, 2025, Baptiste and Woods brought the unresponsive girl to a small medical center. Her injuries were so severe that she had to be airlifted to a hospital, where she died the next day. Medical staff determined the trauma to be non-accidental, triggering a swift criminal investigation. Both adults were arrested on July 29.

The charges against Baptiste and Woods were initially for child abuse and neglect. However, following the investigation and grand jury proceedings, prosecutors upgraded the charges to first-degree murder, child abuse, and child molestation. The molestation charge was added after further forensic and interview evidence emerged during the investigation, though details remain sealed due to the sensitivity of the case. Both defendants have denied wrongdoing, with Baptiste admitting only to physical discipline, including hitting his daughter with “excessive force,” and rating her pain level as a “7 out of 10” during one beating.

Child protective services had received multiple reports of abuse against the couple dating back as far as 2015. A May 2025 complaint had triggered a new investigation into the siblings, but by the time officials located the family, it was too late for the young girl. This case has reignited public scrutiny into the failures of child welfare systems to act swiftly when there are repeated warning signs. Now, as the victim’s siblings receive care elsewhere and the case moves toward trial, the community is left reckoning with how a child’s calls for help—cries that came from a gas station, a hospital, and even a school—were missed until her voice was permanently silenced.