Police say electronic communications linked the woman’s fiancé to the man accused of attacking her inside her Buckeye home.
BUCKEYE, AZ — A 23-year-old Buckeye man was arrested after police said investigators uncovered evidence that he arranged for a man he met online to sexually assault his fiancée while she was home with her children.
Zarian Dyer was taken into custody Thursday, Oct. 29, at his workplace near Roosevelt Street and Verrado Way, according to the Buckeye Police Department. Police said the arrest followed an investigation into an Oct. 16 attack at a home near Southern Avenue and Miller Road. Detectives allege Dyer communicated with 20-year-old Adrian Ayala before the attack and helped plan what would happen. Authorities said the motive behind the alleged plot remains unknown.
Police were called to the Buckeye home at about 6 p.m. Oct. 16 after the woman reported that an unknown man had entered the house and attacked her. She was home with her two children at the time, authorities said. The woman fought back and the intruder left before officers arrived. Police identified Ayala as the suspected attacker and arrested him the following day at his home in Goodyear.
Investigators said the case changed direction after Ayala alleged that he had met Dyer online and that the two had reached an agreement involving an attack on Dyer’s fiancée. Detectives seized Ayala’s electronic devices and a phone belonging to Dyer. Buckeye police said a review of the devices uncovered communications between the two men about the planned assault. The woman did not consent to the encounter, according to police and court records cited by local news organizations.
Police said messages recovered during the investigation appeared to contain information about the timing and circumstances of the attack. Court records reviewed by Arizona’s Family indicate prosecutors alleged Dyer encouraged Ayala to go to the home while the woman was unsuspecting. Investigators also said the communications contained details that authorities believed would have been difficult for an unknown person to obtain independently. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
During the attack, Ayala allegedly told the woman that her partner had sent him, according to police and security video described in court records. Ayala’s attorney later argued in court that Ayala believed he was participating in a consensual role-playing encounter that had been arranged through the woman’s partner. Police said the woman denied consenting to such an arrangement. The competing claims became a focus of the investigation as detectives examined the electronic communications.
Dyer initially denied involvement when questioned, according to court records reported by Arizona’s Family. Investigators later confronted him with information recovered from electronic devices and other records they said supported the allegation that he had communicated with Ayala. Police have not publicly identified a motive for why Dyer allegedly arranged the attack. Authorities have also not announced a final determination beyond the allegations contained in the criminal case.
Buckeye police said Dyer was booked on eight counts, with allegations including aggravated assault, sexual abuse, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping and conspiracy. A judge set his bond at $500,000 during an initial court appearance, according to Arizona’s Family. The charges are accusations, and Dyer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Publicly available reporting did not establish whether he had entered a plea as of the latest updates.
Ayala faces a separate criminal case stemming from the Oct. 16 incident. Court records cited by The Arizona Republic showed charges related to kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary and aggravated assault. His claim about how he came to the home prompted detectives to investigate Dyer and seize the electronic evidence that police say connected the two men. Ayala’s account and his attorney’s description of the encounter remain allegations and arguments that will be subject to the court process.
Buckeye police said the investigation established evidence of communications about a planned assault but had not determined a motive. Dyer remained in custody following his arrest, while the criminal cases involving both men were continuing through the court system. Authorities had not announced additional arrests in connection with the alleged plot as of the latest reports.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.