Indiana – In a horrific incident in Indiana, a 5-year-old girl died after her 41-year-old father, identified as Z. Arnold, driven by anger toward his ex-girlfriend, strangled her to death—despite the child’s desperate cries that she loved him. The man initially lied to police, saying she fell down the stairs.
Arnold now faces charges of murder and neglect in connection to the death of his daughter, who was found unresponsive inside their home on May 13. When officers with the police department arrived shortly after 11 a.m., they discovered the girl’s lifeless body and visible signs of trauma. Arnold initially told first responders that his daughter had fallen down the stairs but soon admitted the truth under questioning.
According to court documents, Arnold confessed to repeatedly choking the girl the night before during a burst of rage fueled by a fight with his ex-girlfriend. He told investigators that after the assault, his daughter—injured and confused—told him, “I love you very much,” and asked, “Why did you hurt me?” He said she told him she was tired and got into bed, but he didn’t check on her because he was “too angry at his ex.” Hours later, he texted photos of his daughter “foaming at the mouth” to his ex-girlfriend and allegedly admitted to killing her. According to reports, Arnold attempted to blame his ex-girlfriend for the violence saying she “drove” him to do it. But detectives say Arnold’s rage led him to inflict fatal injuries on a child who only wanted to be loved by him.
The girl’s death wasn’t without warning signs. Family members say Arnold’s abusive behavior had been documented for years but repeatedly overlooked by the system. According to court records, Arnold had been accused of everything from harassment and battery to molestation and child abuse, dating back to when his daughter was less than a year old.
In 2021, he was charged with ra-ing the girl’s mother, but that charge was dropped through a plea deal. In 2023, there were reports of him physically abusing his daughter. Earlier this year, he was also accused of abusing another child. Yet, none of these allegations resulted in serious consequences—and Arnold was allowed to maintain custody of his 5-year-old daughter.
The police department and the Indiana Department of Child Services had both been involved with the family, yet protective action was never taken. Reports included accounts of drug use around the child, physical beatings, and food deprivation. In one incident just a week before her death, Arnold was placed on probation for violating a protective order in a different case. Despite that, he remained in the five-year-old girl’s life.
Family members described the victim as a bright, loving child who adored her father despite his troubling behavior. Her grandmother told investigators that the girl was emotionally attached to him and likely didn’t understand the danger she was in. The young girl’s heartbreaking death serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of unchecked domestic violence and the systems that sometimes fail to intervene.
