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Indianapolis Star
4 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.
Indianapolis Star
22-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Prosecutor looking into 'everybody' tied to Zara Arnold's brutal killing, abuse
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. Anybody who has had contact with Zara Arnold, the 5-year-old girl brutally killed after years of alleged abuse, will be looked into, said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. Zachary Arnold, the girl's 41-year-old father, is charged with murder in her death. After Arnold's initial court hearing May 22, 2025, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears was pointed about what was coming in the case. "I cannot stress enough, this certainly is not the end of the investigation," said Mears, adding Zara "suffered incredible abuse" and "torture." Mears is seeking life without parole for Arnold. His girlfriend, Andrea Lopez-Figueroa, is also facing charges as police say she witnessed the abuse but failed to call 911. "Certainly anticipate that more serious charges are going to be filed against additional individuals," Mears said. "We are evaluating the conduct of everybody who came in contact with this child." Whether members of Indiana's Department of Child Services, which was alerted several times to possible abuse, will be part of that investigation remains to be seen. "We cannot comment on the particulars of a pending investigation," said Michael Leffler with the Marion County Prosecutor's Office when asked about that possibility. Court documents in the case against Arnold reveal a timeline of DCS involvement before Zara was found dead inside a home on May 19. Arnold initially said she fell down the stairs, but later admitted to choking her. According to court documents, detectives found new evidence of abuse on a phone belonging to Lopez-Figueroa. One video includes a FaceTime recording where Arnold has a noose around Zara's neck and swings her body around. Other videos depict him throwing the 5-year-old over his shoulder and letting her body hang behind his back while the noose is around her neck. She appears to still be alive in all of these videos, according to court records. A warrant was issued for Lopez-Figueroa's arrest on charges of assisting a criminal and failure to make a report. Arnold's initial hearing was early May 22. He was not given a bond. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of life without parole for Arnold.
Indianapolis Star
21-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Court docs: Indiana DCS, police were warned about man jailed in 5-year-old daughter's death
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. Before she drew her last breath, 5-year-old Zara Arnold asked her father why he hurt her. 'After he stopped choking her the last time that night, Zara told him she was tired and climbed into bed,' her father told investigators, according to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest. She told her father she loved him as her eyes closed for what police believe was the final time inside a house in the 200 block of North Lasalle Street on the east side of Indianapolis. The morning of May 19, a 911 call claimed Zara had fallen down the stairs. First responders found the little girl cold, stiff and covered in bruises. The coroner would note abrasions and ligature marks on the girl's neck and chin. Zachary Arnold, the girl's 41-year-old father, later told Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigators that she never fell down the stairs. He admitted that he'd strangled her the night before after becoming enraged during an argument with his girlfriend. He said he should have gone back to check on his daughter, as he 'always went back to check on her after choking her,' detectives wrote, quoting Arnold. But he didn't this time because he was "so upset" with his girlfriend. "Zachary said (his girlfriend) did this to him and is making him out to be a monster," detectives wrote. The father stands preliminarily charged with neglect of a dependent and murder. An official cause of death remains under investigation. Arnold's girlfriend told police that while she wasn't home during the attack, the couple spent May 18 and May 19 arguing through social media, phone calls and text messages. While she was out of the house, Arnold sent her photos of Zara foaming at the mouth. Arnold then called her on FaceTime while choking the girl. He said to call 911 because he was going to hurt the little girl, according to court documents. She told him to stop, but "thought he was just playing," she told police. Later, she said she didn't call 911 because she feared Arnold. Court documents and police reports filed during Zara's life suggest a childhood marked by instability and pain. Her mother told police at least three times that the girl was abused by her father. In November 2020, an officer 'observed visible bruising and what appeared to be red hand marks' on the then 9-month-old girl. At least one of her mother's allegations resulted in an investigation by the Indiana Department of Children's Services, according to court documents filed in a stalking case. It's unclear what, if any, interventions were made by the state agency responsible for children's welfare. "We do not have statutory authority to release any records related to Zara Arnold, due to an ongoing police investigation or criminal prosecution," a DCS paralegal wrote. Another report made to DCS claimed that Arnold used methamphetamines in front of his daughter and was violent with both Zara and his girlfriend. Zara denied the allegations in an interview with DCS. It's unclear who made this report and when it was investigated, though. None of the child abuse allegations ever resulted in criminal charges – instead, only protective orders that were repeatedly broken, according to court documents. Arnold's father faced three separate charges within a month in 2020 for continuing to contact her mother against her will. Once, on the day after he was released from jail, he threatened her in a recorded video call: 'I am coming to your house tonight. I will kill you.' That was one of several death threats, which the girl's mother believed were at least in part due to a custody disagreement. The custody case, which began shortly after the girl's birth in 2020, remained open at the time of publication. Court records show that Arnold's legal advocate withdrew from the case in June 2024. The advocate's organization, Kids' Voice of Indiana, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zara's mother told police she lost custody of her daughter and hadn't seen her in approximately a year, except for a chance encounter about a week before her death. It's unclear why custody was given to the father despite his violent criminal history, including a rape charge from 2020 that lead to a plea deal. On May 11, eight days before Zara was found dead, her mother saw the little girl and Arnold at a Wendy's on North Shadeland Avenue. The girl tried to run to her mother, but Zara's father grabbed her by the neck and took off. The mother called police. The officer who responded to that call tried to locate Zara and her father "with no success, including attempting to locate them at (Arnold's) residence on LaSalle," according to court documents. Video surveillance from the fast food restaurant showed Arnold grabbing the little girl by her neck and putting her in a Cadillac Escalade "in an aggressive quick manner" before driving off. It's unclear when police received this surveillance footage or if any further action was taken. On May 12, the day after the failed welfare check, Zara's father appeared in court. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of invasion of privacy after showing up at a custody exchange between his girlfriend and her ex-husband, who had a protective order against him. He was sentenced to 360 days in jail with all 360 days suspended. Criminal records. DCS involvement. Other signs 7-year-old boy was in danger Alone, frostbitten and bruised: the tragic death of an Indianapolis 2-year-old Abused, scared and drinking chemicals: Court docs reveal horrifying details in boy's death
Indianapolis Star
21-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Court docs: Indiana DCS, police were warned about man jailed in 5-year-old daughter's death
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. Before she drew her last breath, 5-year-old Zara Arnold asked her father why he hurt her. 'After he stopped choking her the last time that night, Zara told him she was tired and climbed into bed,' her father told investigators, according to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest. She told her father she loved him as her eyes closed for what police believe was the final time inside a house in the 200 block of North Lasalle Street on the east side of Indianapolis. The morning of May 19, a 911 call claimed Zara had fallen down the stairs. First responders found the little girl cold, stiff and covered in bruises. The coroner would note abrasions and ligature marks on the girl's neck and chin. Zachary Arnold, the girl's 41-year-old father, later told Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigators that she never fell down the stairs. He admitted that he'd strangled her the night before after becoming enraged during an argument with his girlfriend. He said he should have gone back to check on his daughter, as he 'always went back to check on her after choking her,' detectives wrote, quoting Arnold. But he didn't this time because he was "so upset" with his girlfriend. "Zachary said (his girlfriend) did this to him and is making him out to be a monster," detectives wrote. The father stands preliminarily charged with neglect of a dependent and murder. An official cause of death remains under investigation. Arnold's girlfriend told police that while she wasn't home during the attack, the couple spent May 18 and May 19 arguing through social media, phone calls and text messages. While she was out of the house, Arnold sent her photos of Zara foaming at the mouth. Arnold then called her on FaceTime while choking the girl. He said to call 911 because he was going to hurt the little girl, according to court documents. She told him to stop, but "thought he was just playing," she told police. Later, she said she didn't call 911 because she feared Arnold. Court documents and police reports filed during Zara's life suggest a childhood marked by instability and pain. Her mother told police at least three times that the girl was abused by her father. In November 2020, an officer 'observed visible bruising and what appeared to be red hand marks' on the then 9-month-old girl. At least one of her mother's allegations resulted in an investigation by the Indiana Department of Children's Services, according to court documents filed in a stalking case. It's unclear what, if any, interventions were made by the state agency responsible for children's welfare. "We do not have statutory authority to release any records related to Zara Arnold, due to an ongoing police investigation or criminal prosecution," a DCS paralegal wrote. Another report made to DCS claimed that Arnold used methamphetamines in front of his daughter and was violent with both Zara and his girlfriend. Zara denied the allegations in an interview with DCS. It's unclear who made this report and when it was investigated, though. None of the child abuse allegations ever resulted in criminal charges – instead, only protective orders that were repeatedly broken, according to court documents. Arnold's father faced three separate charges within a month in 2020 for continuing to contact her mother against her will. Once, on the day after he was released from jail, he threatened her in a recorded video call: 'I am coming to your house tonight. I will kill you.' That was one of several death threats, which the girl's mother believed were at least in part due to a custody disagreement. The custody case, which began shortly after the girl's birth in 2020, remained open at the time of publication. Court records show that Arnold's legal advocate withdrew from the case in June 2024. The advocate's organization, Kids' Voice of Indiana, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zara's mother told police she lost custody of her daughter and hadn't seen her in approximately a year, except for a chance encounter about a week before her death. It's unclear why custody was given to the father despite his violent criminal history, including a rape charge from 2020 that lead to a plea deal. On May 11, eight days before Zara was found dead, her mother saw the little girl and Arnold at a Wendy's on North Shadeland Avenue. The girl tried to run to her mother, but Zara's father grabbed her by the neck and took off. The mother called police. The officer who responded to that call tried to locate Zara and her father "with no success, including attempting to locate them at (Arnold's) residence on LaSalle," according to court documents. Video surveillance from the fast food restaurant showed Arnold grabbing the little girl by her neck and putting her in a Cadillac Escalade "in an aggressive quick manner" before driving off. It's unclear when police received this surveillance footage or if any further action was taken. On May 12, the day after the failed welfare check, Zara's father appeared in court. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of invasion of privacy after showing up at a custody exchange between his girlfriend and her ex-husband, who had a protective order against him. He was sentenced to 360 days in jail with all 360 days suspended. Criminal records. DCS involvement. Other signs 7-year-old boy was in danger Alone, frostbitten and bruised: the tragic death of an Indianapolis 2-year-old Abused, scared and drinking chemicals: Court docs reveal horrifying details in boy's death
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
Alone, frostbitten and bruised: the tragic death of an Indianapolis 2-year-old
Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse and neglect. 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. The 2-year-old was left inside a cold, dirty apartment, with no access to food or water. Her mother wasn't there to tuck her in at night or change her diaper when it was soiled. Her mother wasn't there at all, for hours — sometimes days — Indianapolis police say. Skylar Gardner, 2, was found dead underneath a fallen lightweight dresser with her body already going into rigor mortis by the time the woman who was supposed to take care of her found the girl. While the toddler lived in filth and squalor among feces and mounds of trash with her 3-year-brother, her mother, Chantell Gardner was off with her boyfriend, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives allege in a probable cause affidavit for her arrest. "The home was a biohazard," police wrote. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday that Chantell Gardner was indicted on murder and neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. Skylar Gardner: 2-year-old girl dead, Indianapolis mother arrested for neglect According to court records, Skylar's multiple injuries, including bruising over most of her body, bite marks on her back and arm, frostbite on her hands and feet, and a puncture wound near her neck, possibly caused by a rodent after her death. Skylar was found dead under a dresser in the 6300 block of Newberry Road at Timber Point Apartments when her mother stopped by to feed the children. Gardner's boyfriend, Brian Thomas, has also been indicted on two counts of assisting a criminal. He's accused of lying to hinder the case against Gardner. Thomas told police he hadn't been to Chantell Gardner's house in months. He said Gardner would sleep at his apartment sometimes five days a week and rarely brought the kids. He told detectives he thought the kids were staying with Gardner's family when she was at his residence. The last time he saw the children, he told police, was at his home on his birthday in December 2024. The children's father lives in Ohio, but arrived at Gardner's apartment the day Skylar was found. He told detectives the last time he saw Skylar and her brother was around Thanksgiving. He had tried to speak with the children via phone and video chat but Gardner was unresponsive to his requests. He last saw Skylar via video chat two or three weeks ago. While chatting with Skylar, he said she was lying on Gardner's chest before falling asleep. Just after 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25, Chantell Gardner told police, she called for her young children to eat dinner. Her son came, but her daughter didn't. That's when she went looking around the apartment and found Skylar's body underneath a dresser with canvas drawers. The girl was cold to the touch. The dresser, which was said to have fallen on the child, did not appear heavy enough to have caused Skylar's death, investigators said. When officers entered the home, there was an overwhelming stench of feces and urine. The floors were covered in feces, overturned furniture, household items, and other debris. Feces were also on the walls and furniture. Chantell Gardner's 3-year-old son had overt signs of neglect and food disparity when taken to Riley Children's Health to be examined. Doctors told police the boy's overall condition was life-threatening. Gardner told detectives that October of 2024 is when she began leaving the children unattended. She said it began by only leaving them when she went outside to her car to 'meet up' with Thomas in the parking lot. She started leaving them alone for other errands, like to pick up chicken wings for dinner or sometimes go to the grocery store. She said the children didn't always behave and could be challenging, so leaving them home was easier, police wrote in court documents. Eventually, the mother "strayed" away from the home altogether due to the smell inside. She stopped showering at the residence because "the smell before showering would cling to her immediately after showering." She said she wiped her son down at most once a week and would shower Skylar once weekly to get the feces and build-up out of her hair. She told detectives that even when she would stay away from the home, she could bring the children cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, chips and soft drinks. During the police investigation, the temperature of each room inside the apartment was recorded between 46 and 51 degrees. During an autopsy, a pathologist noted external injuries of what appeared to be multiple bite marks on Skylar Garnder, frostbite on her feet and hands, and round patterned bruising. Further testing is being done to determine if some of the girl's injuries happened postmortem. Skylar was dehydrated and had hair and possibly feces in her stomach. Possible paint chips, hair, and foreign bodies were found in her intestines, the coroner noted in their report to detectives. As of now, it's believed that Skylar died of hypothermia. Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at and follow her on X, formally Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis 2-year-old Skylar Gardner's death leads to mother's arrest
