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Father strangles his 5-year-old daughter to death

Published

12 months ago

May 23, 2025

Zachary Arnold

Father strangles his 5-year-old daughter to death

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has arrested Zachary Arnold, 41, and they say he confessed to murd£ring his 5-year-old daughter Zara Arnold on May 19, per court documents.

Arnold, 41, initially claimed that his daughter had fallen down the stairs when he called 911 to report she was not breathing that morning, according to the IMPD.

He then changed his story while being questioned by detectives with the IMPD, allegedly telling them that he strangled his daughter after having an argument with his girlfriend.

Detectives with the IMPD then spoke with Arnold’s girlfriend who confirmed that the two were fighting, and then allegedly said that she saw Zara being choked by her father.

The Indy Star and News8, citing court documents, report that Arnold sent his girlfriend “photos of Zara foaming at the mouth,” “called her on FaceTime while choking the girl” and “said to call 911 because he was going to hurt the little girl.”

The girlfriend claims that she told him to stop but “thought he was just playing,” according to the court documents obtained by the Star and WTHR.

At no point did the girlfriend contact authorities or tell anyone about the photo, what she saw on FaceTime or the threat Arnold allegedly made about his daughter, according to the documents.

The girlfriend later told police that she did not call 911 because she was afraid of Arnold.

The documents also revealed that the girlfriend had videos on her phone of the 5-year-old girl being swung around with a noose by her father, according to court documents.

The morning of May 19, first responders found Zara Arnold cold, stiff and covered in bruises at her father’s house in the 200 block of North Lasalle Street.

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Zachary Arnold, 41, was arrested on charges of murd£r and neglect of a dependent in connection with the little girl’s de@th.

In an interview, Arnold admitted that he’d strangled her the night before after becoming enraged during an argument with his girlfriend, Andrea Lopez-Figueroa.

Lopez-Figueroa told police she’d left the home on May 18. Arnold wanted her to stay over that night to watch Zara, who was returning from a weekend at a family friend’s house, but Lopez-Figueroa wanted to go home. She told him she “wanted to be single and needed to think,” according to investigators.

That was the start of a prolonged argument that Arnold blamed for the extended attack on his daughter in a police interview.

“It kept amping up and Zara was crying,” detectives wrote.
Over several hours, Lopez-Figueroa watched on FaceTime calls as Arnold assaulted his daughter, police wrote.

She told him to stop when he held Zara down by her legs and choked her. She told him to stop when he picked Zara up by her throat. She told him to stop when he pulled the little girl by her hair. At no point did she call 911. Instead, she took screenshots of the assault.

She told investigators she didn’t call for help because she was afraid of Arnold, even though Arnold had ordered her to call for help because he was going to k!ll Zara.

Lopez-Figueroa thought they were “playing” at the time, according to investigators.

She estimated that Arnold ch0ked his daughter more than 10 times throughout their argument.

In the last call of the night, Lopez-Figueroa said she saw Zara motionless and bloodied.

“It looked like she was breathing,” she told investigators, according to court documents. At some point after that, she went to sleep.

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When Arnold called Lopez-Figueroa back in the morning, he was doing compressions on Zara and pacing back and forth.

At 11:07 a.m., as first responders examined the girl’s lifeless body, Arnold texted Lopez-Figueroa that the little girl had d!ed.

She was soon picked up by police for questioning.

A forensic search of Lopez-Figueroa’s phone corroborated her account of repeated FaceTime calls, texts and social media messages throughout May 18 and 19.

Multiple videos from Lopez-Figueroa’s phone, some recorded as early as April 10, showed Arnold str@ngling Zara.

One of the videos from the night of May 18 shows Arnold swinging Zara around by a noose. He throws the girl over his shoulder and hangs her behind his back.

“Zara appears to still be alive in all of these videos,” detectives wrote.

A warrant has been 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 bond. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said he will seek life without parole.

Arnold had previously been charged with r@pe in 2020, but managed to get that charge dismissed in a plea deal with prosecutors, according to a sentencing order.

He had also been charged with violating protective orders filed by Zara’s mother on at least three occasions, per the sentencing order. It shows that he entered a guilty plea to an invasion of privacy charge just days before his daughter’s death.

The judge in that case sentenced Arnold to 360 days in county jail but then suspended all 360 days, allowing him to return home.

That was on May 12, a week before Zara’s death.

On Wednesday, May 21, a spokesperson for the Marion County Coroner’s Office told PEOPLE that Zara’s cause of de@th was multiple blunt force injuries and her manner of de@th was homicide.

Arnold is now being held at the Adult Detention Center and is facing charges of murd£r and neglect of a dependent. The IMPD says more charges could be filed, as the investigation is ongoing.

The probable cause affidavit also notes that Arnold blames his actions on his girlfriend, telling detectives that “she did this” to him and her actions are “making him out to be a monster.”

Father strangles his 5-year-old daughter to death

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US Civil Rights Organisation Appoints Deji Adeyanju to Board

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju

US Civil Rights Organisation Appoints Deji Adeyanju to Board

Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has been appointed to the Board of the Katutu Civil Rights Center, an international civil rights organisation headquartered in New York, United States.

The appointment was formally communicated to THE WHISTLER on Friday by the organisation, confirming Adeyanju’s inclusion in its global leadership structure.

The Katutu Civil Rights Center is a civil rights and advocacy organisation known for its work in human rights protection, policy engagement, and support for vulnerable and marginalised communities across different regions of the world.

In his acceptance, Adeyanju expressed gratitude for the appointment, saying he was honoured to support the organisation’s mission of advancing human rights and strengthening civic participation globally.

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He noted that the role would further enable him to contribute to justice-oriented advocacy beyond Nigeria, while working alongside international stakeholders focused on democratic governance and civil liberties.

Adeyanju, who has been active in human rights advocacy for over a decade, is widely known for his campaigns against police brutality, civic repression, and abuse of power in Nigeria.

His appointment has been interpreted by observers as international recognition of his long-standing involvement in democracy advocacy, social justice campaigns, and legal representation of activists and citizens in high-profile rights cases.

The Katutu Civil Rights Center said Adeyanju’s selection reflects its commitment to including diverse voices from different regions in its governance structure, particularly individuals with hands-on experience in grassroots human rights work.

The organisation also highlighted his track record in legal activism and public advocacy as key factors in his appointment.

The development has sparked reactions across civic and human rights circles, with supporters describing it as a significant milestone for Nigerian civil society engagement on the global stage.

Adeyanju’s new role is expected to further expand his involvement in international human rights conversations, particularly around accountability, rule of law, and protection of civic freedoms.

US Civil Rights Organisation Appoints Deji Adeyanju to Board

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Woman Gets 20-Year Jail Term For Supporting Terrorism Activities

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Halima Umar

Woman Gets 20-Year Jail Term For Supporting Terrorism Activities

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a housewife, Halima Umar, to 20 years imprisonment after she was found guilty of offences linked to terrorism financing, illegal arms movement, and unlawful possession of ammunition allegedly meant for bandits operating in Plateau State.

Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa delivered the judgment on Friday after the defendant pleaded guilty to two out of a four-count charge filed against her by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The court ruled that offences involving terrorism, illegal arms trafficking, and support for criminal groups posed serious threats to Nigeria’s national security and therefore required stiff punishment.

According to details presented during the trial, Umar admitted acting as a courier responsible for transporting 302 rounds of AK-47 ammunition to suspected bandits.

A DSS operative, Fahad Tahir, who testified before the court, said the defendant was arrested on July 6, 2025, while allegedly transporting the ammunition alongside N57,100 cash.

Investigations later revealed that Umar was allegedly instructed by one Alhaji Sani to travel to Zaria in Kaduna State, where she collected the ammunition from another contact before attempting to deliver it onward.

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The prosecution further told the court that the defendant was transferred to the DSS National Headquarters in Abuja on August 11, 2025, where she made additional confessional statements in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.

During the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Dr. Callistus Samson Ezeh, tendered the recovered ammunition, the cash sum, and the defendant’s confessional statements as exhibits. The defence did not object to the admissibility of the evidence.

Umar also personally admitted before the court that she was in possession of the ammunition and cash at the time of her arrest.

The charges against her included providing support for terrorism-related activities under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and unlawful possession of ammunition under the Firearms Act, 2004.

Although the convict pleaded for leniency and expressed remorse, Justice Yilwa held that crimes connected to terrorism support, arms trafficking, and the movement of illegal ammunition could not be treated lightly because of their grave implications for public safety and national stability.

Following her guilty plea and the evidence presented by the DSS, the court convicted and sentenced her to 20 years imprisonment.

The conviction comes amid intensified efforts by Nigerian security agencies to tackle banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and the illegal movement of weapons across the country.

Woman Gets 20-Year Jail Term For Supporting Terrorism Activities

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Police Dismiss Five Inspectors, Prosecute Three Over Robbery, Kidnapping in Rivers

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid

Police Dismiss Five Inspectors, Prosecute Three Over Robbery, Kidnapping in Rivers

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed five inspectors and initiated prosecution proceedings against three others over alleged involvement in armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, and abuse of office in Rivers State.

The development was confirmed on Friday during the parade of the affected officers at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Anthony Placid.

Placid said the disciplinary actions followed extensive investigations into multiple complaints of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, stealing, extortion, and misconduct allegedly carried out by officers operating within Rivers State and other parts of the country.

According to the police spokesperson, three inspectors attached to Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa — identified as Ayanniyi Jelil, Durojaye Francis, and Olayemi Titus — were arrested over the alleged abduction and robbery of a man identified as Festus Saturday. He explained that the officers were allegedly operating an illegal patrol team along the Igboh-Etche axis when they stopped the victim and his cousin during a stop-and-search operation in November 2025.

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The officers were said to have assaulted the victims, forced them to unlock their mobile phones, and gained access to their banking applications and cryptocurrency wallets, before allegedly stealing about ₦7.3 million and $1,742. Placid further alleged that the suspects used AK-47 rifles during the operation and had carried out similar attacks on other unsuspecting residents across Rivers State. Recovered items reportedly include three Toyota Sienna buses allegedly linked to the operation, while three additional officers connected to the case are currently on the run.

In a separate case, five officers attached to the Operations Department of the Rivers State Police Command were dismissed following investigations into allegations of armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, and abuse of office. The dismissed officers were identified as John Okoi, Eyibo Asuquo, Udo Ndipmong, Bright Nwachukwu, and Anele Ikechukwu.

Their case followed petitions filed by the Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation on behalf of victims who accused the officers of operating illegal patrol teams and abducting civilians around Port Harcourt. Police investigations reportedly showed that the officers routinely seized victims’ phones, accessed bank details, and transferred funds from accounts and cryptocurrency wallets.

One of the victims, Felix Favour, was allegedly forced to transfer about $4 million in cryptocurrency, while another victim reportedly lost ₦940,000 after being kidnapped along Aba Road. Another complainant, Okparaocha David Ugochukwu, was said to have lost ₦1.3 million, as well as jewellery and a wristwatch valued at over ₦6 million. Investigators also alleged that the officers falsely claimed to be operatives of Zone 16 Headquarters to intimidate victims and evade detection.

Placid said all the affected officers were subjected to orderly room trial procedures before their dismissal, while those indicted in the criminal cases have been recommended for prosecution. He added that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to internal discipline and will not tolerate misconduct that undermines public trust, stressing that efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and ensure accountability.