Arizona Cop Responds to a Call, Unaware He'll Find His Future Daughter There

In March 2018, an Arizona police officer went to rescue a 2-year-old girl who was being mistreated by her caregiver. Little did he know that the welfare check would change his life forever.

That night, Lt. Brian Zach helped the adorable Kaila get out of her mother's place after the police received a call informing them about her injuries.

The sight of the injured girl brought back some painful memories from 2011 that Zach wanted to forget. He didn't want little Kaila to go through the same thing that had happened seven years ago.

IT WAS A REGULAR WORKING DAY

Like every other day, Lt. Zach was on-duty that night, ready to respond to emergency calls in Kingman, Arizona. The local police station usually received calls related to theft and domestic violence.

That night, Zach got a call to rescue a severely injured 2-year-old who was living with her mother and her boyfriend. He immediately went to the location and saved Kaila.

While waiting for the social workers to arrive, Zach bonded with the little girl and immediately became friends with her.

IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME

It wasn't the first time Zach was rescuing a child on duty. In 2011, he met a 13-month-old bruised baby who needed immediate medical attention.

Unfortunately, the toddler didn't survive, which became Zach's worst memory. He could never forget the little girl. Looking at Kaila brought back the painful memories, but he didn't want her to go through the same. He said:

"I didn't get to save that girl. Kaila was my second chance for that."

HE SPENT TIME WITH KAILA

While the police officers investigated the case, Zach got the opportunity to spend the entire night with Kaila. He was delighted to become friends with her. He confessed:

"She was just the cutest little girl that immediately just tugged at my heart."

The little girl invited him to color with her, and they also had snacks while the police investigated why the little girl had bruise marks on her skin.

THEY TOOK HER AWAY

Five hours later, Child Services took Kaila to the hospital to treat her for her injuries. Meanwhile, Zach went home and excitedly told his wife about the adorable little girl he had met that night.

They had two children and thought the little girl would have a good time with them.

They also decided to take Kaila away from her caretakers because the story they told the police wasn't true. Child Services and police could not trust the caretakers anymore.

AFTER THE TREATMENT

After the doctors treated Kaila and she was ready to leave the hospital, Child Services did not know where to keep her. They hadn't talked to any family who was willing to adopt her.

That's when they remembered Zach. They had seen him bond with the little girl, so they approached him to see if he was interested in taking her in for a few days until they could find a suitable family for her.

Zach and his wife, Cierra, were more than happy to keep Kaila with them. They had two children and thought the little girl would have a good time with them. He recalled:

"She came with a sippy cup, a bag of clothes that didn't fit her, and that was it."

THE REGULAR PRACTICE

Usually, when Child Services remove a child from their home, they prefer to keep them with their family members. Otherwise, they relocate the child to a foster home.

In Kaila's case, they didn't know about any family members, so they allowed her to stay with Zach based on their friendship. They had witnessed how the little girl was comfortable with him.

They had only left her at his house for a few weeks until they could find a family willing to adopt Kaila. Little did they know that they wouldn't have to look for one.

ZACH WAS HAPPY TO KEEP KAILA

Not only was Zach happy to have Kaila in his house, Cierra and their children Raina, 19, and Trevin, 17, felt the same. The little girl had won their hearts within a few days. Zach revealed:

"Within the second day, she was calling my wife 'mom' or 'mommy.' I was 'guy' for a week or two, and then when she started preschool, she learned who dad was."

The family was cautious not to get too involved with the little girl because they knew they had to part ways with her in the future. They didn't want to make things difficult for her.

HE ADOPTED THE LITTLE GIRL

However, when the court declared that Kaila's parents weren't fit to raise her, Zach seized the opportunity and stepped forward to adopt her.

While she was with him, he always felt weird thinking about who would adopt her. He had started feeling protective about Kaila, just like he felt for his children.

Since her family didn't come forward, Zach's path was clear for adopting Kaila. He submitted his application and was delighted when the judge accepted it and allowed him to keep Kaila with him forever.

On August 18, 2020, Zach and his family officially adopted Kaila, and they can't imagine living without her. Zach said she has "brightened up their world," and they are more than happy to have her in their lives.

Zach's story teaches us not to let people go when they enter our lives unexpectedly. They are sent for some reason that we have no idea about.

What would you do if you were in Zach's place? Would you adopt a little girl who suffered so much at such a young age to make her life better?

Click here to read another story about a mailman who saw a 2-year-old child alone outside his house. When he went inside, he saw his mother hunched over a stroller.