Buckeye police charge fiancé with masterminding attack on partner by stranger

Zarian Dyer, 23, was arrested Thursday in Buckeye, Arizona, on charges that he recruited a stranger to sexually assault his fiancée at her residence. The Buckeye Police Department says the 20-year-old man, Adrian Ayala, executed the plan on Oct. 16 while Dyer’s partner was home with her two young children.

Court records indicate Ayala arrived at the house around 6 p.m. The victim told investigators that a man she did not know poked his head through the front door shortly after her fiancé left to buy groceries. She had her 2-month-old son sleeping in a bedroom and her 17-month-old daughter standing behind her when Ayala asked to use the bathroom.

The man kicked the door open and forced his way inside, according to police. The victim stated that Ayala began choking her by grabbing her neck. The struggle moved into the bathroom, where Ayala locked the door and attempted to undo the button on her pants before groping her, records show.

Security footage from the home captures the victim dragging Ayala into the driveway. She pushed him away and slapped his face as he leaned his weight against her. During the fight, Ayala allegedly told the woman, “Your boyfriend told me you’d into this.” The woman chased Ayala down the street as he fled the scene before officers arrived.

Police found Ayala the next day at his residence in Goodyear, about 15 miles from the crime scene. Investigators later determined that Dyer had organized the encounter. Ayala told detectives he met Dyer online and agreed to the assault based on that arrangement. Detectives seized Ayala’s electronic devices and found communications with Dyer discussing the plan.

Dyer is charged with aggravated assault, sexual abuse, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, and conspiracy. Ayala faces charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary, and aggravated assault. He appeared in court on Oct. 18, and his trial is set for April 1, 2027. His attorney argued that Dyer brought him to the home for a “role-play scenario” and that Ayala believed the victim had consented.

It is not currently known when Dyer will appear in court. Investigators have not determined what motivated Dyer to orchestrate the attack on his fiancée.