'She was brave': Zara's grieving mother hopes girl's killing prompts change
Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All adults are mandated reporters in Indiana.
Zara Arnold was a "radiant little soul" whose brown eyes beamed with the wonder and curiosity of a 5-year-old.
Her warmth was felt through the way she would sign, "I love you," in American Sign Language (ASL) to her mother, Tiara Finch, who is deaf. The vibration of Zara's laughter is what her mother remembers most.
"Her giggle was the kind that stuck with you," Finch told IndyStar. "She was hearing, but I taught her ASL. It was the only language we used to communicate."
Zara loved going to school, socializing with her friends, and dressing up as a princess. Although her life was cut short, Finch wants people to know that she made an impact.
While the city struggles to understand how so many opportunities to keep Zara safe were missed, Finch wants people to also remember her daughter's smile and pureness.
"She was brave in ways small and big and endlessly loved," Finch said.
Her pure heart was displayed in the last words she said to her accused killer.
Zara Arnold: Prosecutor looking into 'everybody' tied to 5-year-old's brutal killing, abuse
Just before 11 a.m. on May 19, 2025, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to a home in the 200 block of North Lasalle Street for an unresponsive 5-year-old girl. The only person in the home was Zara's father, 41-year-old Zachary Arnold.
Cold to the touch and her body rigid, Zara was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives noticed she had multiple bruises and abrasions on her arms and face. There was bruising on the side of her neck. She appeared to have dried blood on her face, and nearby in a kitchen sink was a small tank top with blood.
According to a probable cause for his arrest, Arnold later admitted to choking Zara two to three times the night before and has choked her on numerous occasions before. He claimed he wasn't trying to hurt Zara, but he was fighting with his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Lopez-Figueroa, and said she made him "go crazy."
Later, police found videos on Lopez-Figueroa's phone of Arnold choking Zara and using a noose around her neck.
'Why'd you hurt me? Why'd you hurt me? I love you, Dad," were the last words the 5-year-old said, according to Arnold.
He was arrested and formally charged with murder. Lopez-Figueroa was charged with assisting a criminal and failure to make a report for not calling 911.
Finch has been facing homelessness and is working with groups and resources to help her get back on her feet and deal with the loss of her daughter. According to court documents, the mother had not seen Zara since September of 2024.
Finch left Arnold when Zara was about 10 months old after claims of abuse, and between then and now, there was a long history of court orders, custody battles, and Finch not feeling like her concerns were heard. Despite a spate of subsequent concerns about other possible abuse, a Marion County judge ordered Finch to stop contacting police and the Department of Child Services with concerns about her daughter's safety.
Alongside justice in her daughter's death, Finch wants people to take note of how a system tasked with keeping her safe failed.
Tiara Finch: 5-year-old Zara was tortured and killed after Indiana judge silenced mom's pleas for help
Finch declined to speak to the ongoing case and is instead focusing her attention on funeral arrangements and attaining resources. She has a GoFundMe set up for funeral costs for Zara and MealTrain representatives are collecting donations for the mother.
Zara Arnold will be laid to rest on June 7, 2025.
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Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
'She was brave': Zara's grieving mother hopes girl's killing prompts change
Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All adults are mandated reporters in Indiana. Zara Arnold was a "radiant little soul" whose brown eyes beamed with the wonder and curiosity of a 5-year-old. Her warmth was felt through the way she would sign, "I love you," in American Sign Language (ASL) to her mother, Tiara Finch, who is deaf. The vibration of Zara's laughter is what her mother remembers most. "Her giggle was the kind that stuck with you," Finch told IndyStar. "She was hearing, but I taught her ASL. It was the only language we used to communicate." Zara loved going to school, socializing with her friends, and dressing up as a princess. Although her life was cut short, Finch wants people to know that she made an impact. While the city struggles to understand how so many opportunities to keep Zara safe were missed, Finch wants people to also remember her daughter's smile and pureness. "She was brave in ways small and big and endlessly loved," Finch said. Her pure heart was displayed in the last words she said to her accused killer. Zara Arnold: Prosecutor looking into 'everybody' tied to 5-year-old's brutal killing, abuse Just before 11 a.m. on May 19, 2025, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to a home in the 200 block of North Lasalle Street for an unresponsive 5-year-old girl. The only person in the home was Zara's father, 41-year-old Zachary Arnold. Cold to the touch and her body rigid, Zara was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives noticed she had multiple bruises and abrasions on her arms and face. There was bruising on the side of her neck. She appeared to have dried blood on her face, and nearby in a kitchen sink was a small tank top with blood. According to a probable cause for his arrest, Arnold later admitted to choking Zara two to three times the night before and has choked her on numerous occasions before. He claimed he wasn't trying to hurt Zara, but he was fighting with his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Lopez-Figueroa, and said she made him "go crazy." Later, police found videos on Lopez-Figueroa's phone of Arnold choking Zara and using a noose around her neck. 'Why'd you hurt me? Why'd you hurt me? I love you, Dad," were the last words the 5-year-old said, according to Arnold. He was arrested and formally charged with murder. Lopez-Figueroa was charged with assisting a criminal and failure to make a report for not calling 911. Finch has been facing homelessness and is working with groups and resources to help her get back on her feet and deal with the loss of her daughter. According to court documents, the mother had not seen Zara since September of 2024. Finch left Arnold when Zara was about 10 months old after claims of abuse, and between then and now, there was a long history of court orders, custody battles, and Finch not feeling like her concerns were heard. Despite a spate of subsequent concerns about other possible abuse, a Marion County judge ordered Finch to stop contacting police and the Department of Child Services with concerns about her daughter's safety. Alongside justice in her daughter's death, Finch wants people to take note of how a system tasked with keeping her safe failed. Tiara Finch: 5-year-old Zara was tortured and killed after Indiana judge silenced mom's pleas for help Finch declined to speak to the ongoing case and is instead focusing her attention on funeral arrangements and attaining resources. She has a GoFundMe set up for funeral costs for Zara and MealTrain representatives are collecting donations for the mother. Zara Arnold will be laid to rest on June 7, 2025.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
The investigation into Hogsett's handling of harassment claims is over. What the firm found
An independent investigation into Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett's response to alleged harassment by his former chief of staff Thomas Cook found that the city didn't break any laws in its response to those complaints, but raised new questions about the end of Cook's tenure as chief of staff back in 2020. Chicago-based law firm Fisher Phillips' investigation found that Cook was allowed to stay on as chief of staff for 68 days following the city's 2020 investigation that found Cook had violated city policy by having another relationship with a subordinate. The law firm said that time period warrants further investigation. The overall finding from the law firm is that Hogsett's administration acted within the law during three investigations conducted in 2017, 2020 and 2023 as the result of Cook's alleged behavior. IndyStar reported last year that three women alleged that Cook sexually harassed them while he was their supervisor, and Cook engaged in another consensual relationship with a subordinate employee. One of the women alleging harassment against Cook also said that he sexually assaulted her. "While complainants 1 and 2 challenge the existence, timing, and integrity of the investigations into their raised complaints, the response by Mayor Hogsett and his administration was legally sufficient and reasonable under the circumstances," according to the law firm's final report. However, the report noted that while the mayor's decision to allow Cook to resign as opposed to face termination was "not inconsistent with the law," the fact that Cook had knowingly violated a prior directive against having relationships with employees "would reasonably cause the City-County's decision to be questioned." In addition, the law firm noted that "Some individuals interviewed during this investigation shared their perception that (Cook) was given an opportunity to use the period from November 2, 2020, through December 30, 2020, to position himself for personal gain by negotiating contracts for his own benefit," according to the report. "We also recommend (the city) identifies action steps the City-County can take to minimize potential for City-County employees to negotiate contracts for personal gain while employed at the City-County or for the 12-months following their departure," according to the firm. Several council members on the investigative committee - including Democratic committee Chair Christa Carlino - said they felt there was a difference between the administration's legal obligations and its ethical ones. "Just because something's perfectly legal, doesn't make it right," Carlino said. She said the council should look further into Cook's departure from the city in 2020. Fisher Phillips also recommended that the city dissolve its current human resources structure in favor of an independent one, as well as appoint an independent inspector-general, in its presentation of a final report at the Indianapolis City-County Council's investigative committee on May 29 after a months-long investigation. Fisher Phillips' attorney Danielle Kays said 12 people were interviewed over the course of the investigation, including Hogsett and two women who said they were harassed by Cook. Kays said the firm reached out to Cook multiple times and received no response. Cook previously apologized for his conduct in a statement to IndyStar last year. He has not been charged with a crime. The meeting was tense and emotionally charged. At one point, Carlino recessed the meeting as Lauren Roberts, Hogsett's former deputy campaign manager, who was on speaker phone, pleaded with Carlino to get a copy of the report, which she had not received even as the law firm presented their findings about her case to the public. "This entire thing has been torture," Roberts said. "I'm sitting here being dissected in public." Carlino said no one from the council or public — besides its general council — had access to the report before it was presented tonight by the law firm. "I know the wait has been excruciating for those survivors," Carlino said. Hogsett said in a statement after the report presentation that "the findings are clear that the earlier investigations and resulting sanctions were handled appropriately and confidentially," though clarified he hadn't had time to read the report in full. "It remains crucial that the city has the best system in place for reporting, investigating, and dealing with harassment of any kind, which is why I will work with the City-County Council on how these recommendations may further strengthen efforts to create a safer, better workplace for everyone throughout the city's operations," Hogsett said. The City-County Council launched an investigative committee last year to probe Hogsett's response to the alleged harassment by Cook. IndyStar reported in 2024 that Cook faced sexual harassment and assault claims by three women who worked under Cook over the course of a decade. The sexual harassment allegations in Mayor Hogsett's administration: What you need to know Cook also had a relationship with another subordinate employee while he was serving as chief of staff, which prompted him to be asked to resign from the administration back in 2020. Two of the women have alleged that Hogsett didn't handle the allegations properly. Roberts, for example, has said that Hogsett didn't respond to her when she reached out about Cook's alleged treatment of her during the campaign, and that she was never interviewed as part of any investigation over the conduct. Hogsett previously apologized to women who say they were harmed by Cook, but has also defended his response. This story will be updated. Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@ Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Here's what law firm found on Hogsett's response to sexual harassment
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Investigation on Hogsett's response to harassment is done. Here's what the law firm found
An independent investigation into Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett's response to alleged harassment by his former chief of staff Thomas Cook found that the city didn't break any laws in its response to those complaints, but raised new questions about the end of Cook's tenure as chief of staff back in 2020. Chicago-based law firm Fisher Phillips' investigation found that Cook was allowed to stay on as chief of staff for 68 days following the city's 2020 investigation that found Cook had violated city policy by having another relationship with a subordinate. The law firm said that time period warrants further investigation. The overall finding from the law firm is that Hogsett's administration acted within the law during three investigations conducted in 2017, 2020 and 2023 as the result of Cook's alleged behavior. IndyStar reported last year that three women alleged that Cook sexually harassed them while he was their supervisor, and Cook engaged in another consensual relationship with a subordinate employee. One of the women alleging harassment against Cook also said that he sexually assaulted her. "While complainants 1 and 2 challenge the existence, timing, and integrity of the investigations into their raised complaints, the response by Mayor Hogsett and his administration was legally sufficient and reasonable under the circumstances," according to the law firm's final report. However, the report noted that while the mayor's decision to allow Cook to resign as opposed to face termination was "not inconsistent with the law," the fact that Cook had knowingly violated a prior directive against having relationships with employees "would reasonably cause the City-County's decision to be questioned." In addition, the law firm noted that "Some individuals interviewed during this investigation shared their perception that (Cook) was given an opportunity to use the period from November 2, 2020, through December 30, 2020, to position himself for personal gain by negotiating contracts for his own benefit," according to the report. "We also recommend (the city) identifies action steps the City-County can take to minimize potential for City-County employees to negotiate contracts for personal gain while employed at the City-County or for the 12-months following their departure," according to the firm. Several council members on the investigative committee - including Democratic committee Chair Christa Carlino - said they felt there was a difference between the administration's legal obligations and its ethical ones. "Just because something's perfectly legal, doesn't make it right," Carlino said. She said the council should look further into Cook's departure from the city in 2020. Fisher Phillips also recommended that the city dissolve its current human resources structure in favor of an independent one, as well as appoint an independent inspector-general, in its presentation of a final report at the Indianapolis City-County Council's investigative committee on May 29 after a months-long investigation. Fisher Phillips' attorney Danielle Kays said 12 people were interviewed over the course of the investigation, including Hogsett and two women who said they were harassed by Cook. Kays said the firm reached out to Cook multiple times and received no response. Cook previously apologized for his conduct in a statement to IndyStar last year. He has not been charged with a crime. The meeting was tense and emotionally charged. At one point, Carlino recessed the meeting as Lauren Roberts, Hogsett's former deputy campaign manager, who was on speaker phone, pleaded with Carlino to get a copy of the report, which she had not received even as the law firm presented their findings about her case to the public. "This entire thing has been torture," Roberts said. "I'm sitting here being dissected in public." Carlino said no one from the council or public — besides its general council — had access to the report before it was presented tonight by the law firm. "I know the wait has been excruciating for those survivors," Carlino said. Hogsett said in a statement after the report presentation that "the findings are clear that the earlier investigations and resulting sanctions were handled appropriately and confidentially," though clarified he hadn't had time to read the report in full. "It remains crucial that the city has the best system in place for reporting, investigating, and dealing with harassment of any kind, which is why I will work with the City-County Council on how these recommendations may further strengthen efforts to create a safer, better workplace for everyone throughout the city's operations," Hogsett said. The City-County Council launched an investigative committee last year to probe Hogsett's response to the alleged harassment by Cook. IndyStar reported in 2024 that Cook faced sexual harassment and assault claims by three women who worked under Cook over the course of a decade. The sexual harassment allegations in Mayor Hogsett's administration: What you need to know Cook also had a relationship with another subordinate employee while he was serving as chief of staff, which prompted him to be asked to resign from the administration back in 2020. Two of the women have alleged that Hogsett didn't handle the allegations properly. Roberts, for example, has said that Hogsett didn't respond to her when she reached out about Cook's alleged treatment of her during the campaign, and that she was never interviewed as part of any investigation over the conduct. Hogsett previously apologized to women who say they were harmed by Cook, but has also defended his response. This story will be updated.
