The tragic case of Zariah Dodd, a 16-year-old pregnant teen whose life came to an abrupt and violent end earlier this month, continues to resonate with the Phoenix community as her family seeks answers. According to ABC15, Phoenix police found Dodd unresponsive at Marivue Park after a shooting report near 55th Avenue and Osborn Road on the morning of July 5th. The incident left not only Dodd dead but also her unborn daughter, approximately 22 weeks in gestation.
While the investigation proceeds, Dodd's father, Sylquayn Bernard, expresses his doubt that his daughter was murdered at the park, suggesting instead that she was "dumped there." In a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, Bernard recalled police initially identifying the victim as an adult woman. "They had stated it was a 20-year-old woman found in the park. They hadn’t mentioned anything about pregnancy. It was just a 20-year-old woman found in the park," Bernard said. Further complicating the picture is the journey Dodd took from Surprise to Maryvale, leaving unanswered questions as to who she was last with and why she became a target.
Before her untimely death, Zariah had been living in a group home environment, moving through the system with her family fighting for custody. Her uncle Erik Polk described the family's intention to FOX 10 Phoenix saying, "All we’ve ever wanted to do is get Zariah, raise her and make sure she was a productive citizen out here." The Department of Child Safety, however, presented challenges, adding to the family's heartache and the systemic scrutiny in the aftermath of Dodd's death.
As the community grapples with this tragedy, the poignant questions posed by her family underscore deep-seated issues within the child welfare system. "How in the hell does a 16-year-old get pregnant in the system?" Polk asked in a FOX 10 Phoenix interview. The spokesperson for Sunrise Residential Homes insisted that both law enforcement and DCS were "promptly" notified after Dodd failed to return from a walk — a walk that ended in her untimely death. As Zariah and her unborn baby, Zaloni, are laid to rest, the call for justice grows louder. Members of the public who may have information related to this tragedy are urged to contact Silent Witness at (480) WITNESS.
