'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.
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