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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
5 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
'She was brave': Zara's grieving mother hopes girl's killing prompts change
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
20-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Residents demand answers after off-duty Anderson cop's shootout in Indy neighborhood
Many neighbors heard the gunshots, but Nancy Michael saw everything. She always makes a cup of coffee and watches the sunrise from the floor-to-ceiling windows inside her Woodruff Place home. The light was starting to come over the trees in her neighborhood when a "reddish car" came speeding down the street. Then she saw a pickup trying to hit it. She also noticed a black car. The first vehicle she saw spun around, went into the air, and landed in her neighbor's front yard, across the street, breaking an iron fence. "At that point, they had started to shoot," Michael told IndyStar. "I didn't know who was who or what was what." Michael called 911 as two guys came down the street with semi-automatic guns. One of them had a face mask on. "They were running toward the red car. Shots were going back and forth. The other guys in the red car leaped out and ran across the yard," she said. One of the bullets struck a child's bedroom nearby. Michael would later learn that one of the men she saw coming down the street was an off-duty Anderson police officer. He was with his brother-in-law, trying to retrieve his stolen personal vehicle. "The guy kept saying, 'I'm with the police, I'm with the police,'" Michael said. "I don't know why they would be wearing a mask. I don't know why they would not have called the IMPD to help in a chase, and I don't know why they would be carrying those guns. I don't think that's what Anderson's department issues." She, along with other neighbors, had those questions and many more. The shooting happened early in the morning, and by late evening, more than two dozen Woodruff Place residents gathered at her home to hear from Larry Craciunoiu, the assigned Indianapolis Metropolitan Police detective covering the case. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police responded to the 911 calls in the 600 block of Woodruff Place West Drive about 6:30 a.m. on May 19. They initially reported that the Anderson officer was believed to have been grazed by a bullet, but after being taken to a hospital in stable condition, they learned he wasn't shot. The off-duty officer had actually fallen, Craciunoiu, who is a part of IMPD's Critical Incident Response Team that investigates anything involving a police officer, told Woodruff Place residents. Officers quickly determined that two suspects had run from the stolen vehicle. A perimeter was set up around the area as officers, the K-9 Unit, and a drone began searching the area for the suspects. Arsenal Tech High School and H.L. Harshman Middle School were placed on lockdown. The Anderson police officer, who lives in Indianapolis, had reported his Dodge Challenger stolen about 5 a.m., Craciunoiu said. The vehicle had a tracking device, so the officer and his brother-in-law went searching for the vehicle. When asked by residents if the officer called Indianapolis police when the car was located, the detective said no. Craciunoiu is investigating the criminal side of what happened with the shooting and car theft and asked residents to share evidence they may have, such as surveillance video. The vehicles involved were a maroon Dodge Challenger, a gray Dodge 2500 Ram pickup, and a black Mercedes-AMG. The Challenger was the stolen personal vehicle that belonged to the officer. The Mercedes is what he was driving to find it, and the pickup belonged to his brother-in-law. No one was hurt besides the officer falling. It's unclear who fired the shot that went into the child's bedroom. He fell: Anderson officer hurt trying to recover stolen vehicle near Arsenal Tech Many residents said they have children in the neighborhood who were getting ready for school, and people were getting ready for work before the shooting. Jack Jackson was asleep when he heard a large crash. "At first I thought, 'A garbage truck?' But it's not Thursday," Jackson told IndyStar. "Then we heard the gunshots, and that's when it got really scary. I could look out the window from upstairs and see some interaction. I could see the car in my yard, and I was on the phone calling 911." His iron fence was damaged by the maroon Dodge Challenger. "Fences can be repaired," Jackson said. "Neighbors are pretty upset, though. The car was stolen, and that's clearly wrong, but an off-duty, out-of-county police officer trying to retrieve his own car, and all of this erupted in a quiet neighborhood while people were getting ready for work and school. That's just not right." Indianapolis police said their initial investigation indicates shots were fired by the off-duty officer and the suspects before they crashed the Dodge and ran away. Three firearms were taken into evidence in the case. The Anderson Police Department would not confirm with IndyStar if the off-duty officer would be facing any disciplinary action or if they're conducting an internal investigation. Both of the auto theft suspects remain at large. Anyone with information about this incident can reach Detective Larry Craciunoiu at 317-327-3475 or by email at You can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317.262.8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.
Indianapolis Star
20-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
IMPD accepting applications for its weeklong Teen Academy
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police has 60 spots available for its free week-long annual IMPD Teen Academy. The department is accepting applications for its summer camp designed for kids ages 12-24 at Creston Intermediate and Middle School, from June 16-20. The program gives youth a behind-the-scenes look at different units and hopes to foster positive relationships with officers. Officer Iris Farries with IMPD's Community Engagement and Outreach Program said the environment is laid back and not as militant as people might associate it with policing. "I get kids at the beginning who are like, 'Blah, my parents made me come here,' but by the end they're being a speaker for the class," Farries told IndyStar. "They might not want to be police, but they've made new friends and connections, and they remember the teen academy." She said the main goal of the academy is to build trust with young people and offer activities to educate them about the department. Here's what youth can expect out of the academy. Related: Indy Peace hosts national training for hospital violence intervention professionals IMPD will host an admin day for youth, parents, and guardians to go over expectations and sign consent forms. The youth will then be taken to tour the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before taking a lunch break. After eating, IMPD will do a presentation on how to interact with officers as part of a "play it smart" initiative. The day will end with some form of PT, whether it be kickball, baseball, dodgeball, or working out. IMPD will take the kids to visit the Criminal Justice Center to tour the courtrooms before heading back to Creston Middle School to learn about bike safety and ride through a course for them. After lunch, the kids will visit with IMPD Mounted Patrol before ending the day with PT. Youth will learn about internet crimes against children, featuring a K-9 that assists with finding technology related to the topic. Youth will also learn from the traffic unit and the G.R.E.A.T. program featuring a drug K-9. If the weather permits it, kids will be a part of the Juneteenth Peace March to Martin Luther King Jr. Park with members from the Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association and the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives). After lunch, the kids will travel to the IMPD Training Academy to tour the scenario village, Hersheyville, before touring the Real Time Crime Center. A graduation ceremony for completing the program will be followed by a dinner with parents and guardians. The program will be operating from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for the graduation, which will run later into the evening. Parents and guardians will need to provide transportation to and from the middle school. Applications can be submitted online at
Indianapolis Star
14-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Gen Con heist plea: Man to pay Wizards of the Coast $27,141 and write an apology letter
One of the two New York men who were charged for their alleged role in a Gen Con heist at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in 2023 was sentenced. Thomas Dunbar, 40, and Andrew Giaume, 41, were both charged with felony theft after Indianapolis Metropolitan Police traced $300,000 in stolen gaming cards to them on Aug. 2, 2023, ahead of Gen Con opening. According to police, Dunbar and Giaume used a pallet jack to remove the cards while vendors were setting up. Grainy images released by police during the search for the men showed a pallet with packaging resembling those of 'Magic: The Gathering,' the Pokemon Trading Card Game and the Disney Lorcana trading card game, all with hyped releases in 2023, and all among exhibitors at Gen Con. Dunbar took a plea to dismiss the felony charge and was sentenced to a lower-level theft charge. His two-year jail time was suspended to probation, and he must pay restitution. 'Gen Con is pleased to see this offender brought to justice and applauds (convention center) security, IMPD, and the Marion County Prosecutor for their diligent work in concluding this case," David Hoppe, President of Gen Con, said in a statement to IndyStar. Gen Con heist: Charges filed against New York men in theft of gaming cards Dunbar was ordered to pay restitution to Alan Hochman, the president of Pastimes Games, and $27,141 to Wizards of the Coast. Recovered items also must be returned to the Wizards of the Coast. Dunbar also has to complete 40 hours of community service in Marion County and the state of New York. He was sentenced to write an apology letter to the Gen Con Community. After completing a year of probation, he will receive an alternative misdemeanor sentencing. He agreed to stay away from the Indiana Convention Center for two years, and the state didn't object to probation being transferred to New York, where he lives. Giaume has a trial set for July 2025. Related: Indy police trace $300K in stolen gaming cards from Gen Con to New York City Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
