Zachary Arnold Charged With Murder of Daughter Zara Arnold

Zachary Arnold, a 41-year-old Indianapolis father, is charged with murder and neglect of a dependent in the May 2025 death of his five-year-old daughter, Zara Arnold, whom prosecutors say he strangled in their home after years of abuse reports that state agencies and a family court judge did not act on. The Marion County Coroner’s Office ruled Zara’s death a homicide caused by multiple blunt force injuries, and prosecutors are seeking life without the possibility of parole.¹

What Happened the Night Zara Died

On May 19, 2025, officers responded to a 911 call at a home in the 200 block of North LaSalle Street in Indianapolis. Arnold told the dispatcher his daughter had fallen down the stairs. When officers arrived, Zara was cold to the touch, with bruises and dried blood on her face and shirt.²

The stairs story did not hold. Arnold admitted to detectives that he had strangled Zara at least three times the night before she was found. He described smacking her with an open palm and holding her down while choking her.³ He told investigators he stopped choking her before she went to bed and never checked on her afterward.⁴

The coroner determined Zara died of multiple blunt force injuries and classified the manner of death as homicide.⁵

The Charges Against Zachary Arnold

Arnold is charged with murder and neglect of a dependent resulting in death. He is being held without bond, and prosecutors have filed for an enhanced sentence of life without parole.¹

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said “what is alleged is that this child had to suffer a great deal before she passed away.”² Mears said his office was evaluating the conduct of everyone who had contact with the child and anticipated more serious charges against additional individuals.¹

Arnold’s Ex-Girlfriend Was Also Charged

Andrea Lopez-Figueroa, 30, is charged with assisting a criminal and failure to make a report. A warrant was issued for her arrest with a $15,000 surety bond.¹

According to court documents, Lopez-Figueroa watched Arnold abuse Zara repeatedly over several weeks and never called the police. She told investigators she watched over FaceTime as Arnold held the child’s legs down with his feet while choking her, saw Zara with foam on her mouth and her eyes closing under Arnold’s hand, and took a screenshot of the incident.¹ The day before Zara’s death, Arnold allegedly sent Lopez-Figueroa photos of the child foaming at the mouth and told her to call 911 because he was going to hurt the girl. She did not call. She told police she was afraid of Arnold.⁶

The Warnings That Preceded Zara’s Death

Zara’s death followed years of documented reports to the Indiana Department of Child Services. In November 2020, she returned from a visit with her father with a bloody lip, bruising, and hand-shaped marks on her body. DCS investigated and substantiated a finding that Arnold had physically abused his daughter.⁷

In May 2023, Zara’s mother took the child to an emergency room after noticing finger-shaped bruises, and a doctor helped report the incident to DCS. Between 2023 and 2025, six additional allegations were made to DCS about the child; none were substantiated. Detectives noted at least seven DCS reports concerning Zara’s welfare had been filed before her death.²

Family members told investigators Arnold used methamphetamine in front of the child, withheld food from her, and routinely hit her with open palms. DCS records included a report accusing Arnold of consuming methamphetamine in front of the girl and a separate report from her mother alleging bruising and hand marks on Zara’s back.⁴

How the Family Court Awarded Arnold Custody

Zara’s mother, Tiara Finch, who is deaf and communicated with Zara primarily through American Sign Language, left Arnold when Zara was roughly 10 months old, citing abuse.⁸ The custody fight lasted years, and several key decisions cut against her.

There is no public record that the November 2020 DCS abuse finding was ever entered into the custody case. When Arnold faced separate criminal charges in early 2021, the abuse finding was not presented to the court by the prosecutor’s office either.⁷

In May 2023, after the emergency room visit for finger-shaped bruises, Finch sought a protective order. Marion County Judge Amber Collins-Gebrehiwet denied it, writing that the court did not find Arnold had physically or mentally abused or threatened Zara or Finch. During the same hearing, the judge ordered Finch to stop contacting police and DCS with her safety concerns. In September 2023, the judge found Finch in contempt of court for calling police to perform a welfare check on Zara and ordered her to pay $600 in Arnold’s attorney fees.⁷

In May 2024, over a Guardian ad Litem’s “grave concerns,” Judge Collins-Gebrehiwet awarded Arnold primary custody, calling the child’s life “more stable” with her father and characterizing Finch’s abuse allegations as evidence of “paranoia.” Court records show Finch had not seen Zara since September 2024.⁷

After Zara’s death, Judge Collins-Gebrehiwet released a statement calling the death of a child in the justice system “heartbreaking.” A court representative said Indiana judicial rules prohibit judges from discussing specific cases.⁷

Arnold’s Prior Criminal Record

Arnold was charged with rape in 2020, but the charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal.⁵ Asked about that resolution, Prosecutor Mears said he could not discuss specifics but noted that domestic cases often present “two imperfect choices” when victims do not wish to move forward.⁹ Arnold was also charged on at least three occasions with violating protective orders filed by Finch.

On May 12, 2025, one week before Zara’s death, Arnold pleaded guilty to an invasion of privacy charge. A judge sentenced him to 360 days in county jail but suspended the entire sentence, letting him walk free. A probation violation hearing has since been set.⁵

Kentucky corrections records show Arnold was placed on probation in March 2025 after a felony conviction in Harrison County, Kentucky, for theft by unlawful taking of property valued between $1,000 and $10,000, along with a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge. The probation term runs through January 2030.¹⁰

Calls for Investigation and Legislative Changes

Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, called on Governor Mike Braun to launch an impartial investigation into how the criminal justice system handled Arnold’s case, citing DCS, local judges, and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.⁹

Two bills advanced in the Indiana legislature in early 2026 in response to the case. House Bill 1257, authored by Rep. Julie McGuire of Indianapolis, would require DCS to complete public summaries of staff responses in child fatality and near-fatality cases, provide more detailed annual fatality reports, release certain information to news media within 10 days of an inquiry, and furnish legislators with unredacted reports on agency and court responses to abuse allegations. It passed the Indiana House and was approved 9-0 by the Senate Family and Children Services Committee in February 2026. House Bill 1036, approved unanimously by the same committee, would require DCS to have in-person contact with an alleged victim of child abuse or neglect before closing an assessment or terminating a pending child-in-need-of-services case.¹¹

Governor Braun appointed Jennifer Dorfmeyer as the new director of DCS, effective April 2026, after she had served in an acting capacity since January of that year.¹²

1
Fox 59. Father, Ex-Girlfriend Charged in Relation to Death of 5-Year-Old
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KRDO. Father’s Ex-Girlfriend Charged in Death of 5-Year-Old Daughter
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KESQ. Father’s Ex-Girlfriend Charged in Death of 5-Year-Old Daughter
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Law & Crime. Father Says Ex-Girlfriend Drove Him to Kill 5-Year-Old Daughter
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People. Zachary Arnold Strangled Daughter After Sending GF Pics of His Abuse
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WRTV. Indy Father Arrested for Murder, Neglect Following Death of 5-Year-Old Child
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IndyStar. How Did Zachary Arnold Have Custody of Zara
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IndyStar. Zara Arnold Mother Tiara Finch Shares Story
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WISH-TV. Indianapolis Police Union Calls for Investigation Into Death of 5-Year-Old
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Kentucky Department of Corrections. Offender Lookup – Zachary Layne Arnold
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Indiana Capital Chronicle. Lawmakers Looking to Require More Information on Indiana Child Abuse Investigations
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Ink Free News. Indiana Department of Child Services