Izabella Loving was just 5 years old when she died in April 2025. She had a hard life and was allegedly repeatedly abused by her father, Nicholas Loving. When her family found her unresponsive on April 3, they reportedly waited to call 911 for help. When deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office arrived, they came upon a heartbreaking scene.
According to court documents obtained by the Reno Gazette Journal, when deputies came to the family’s home in Cold Springs on April 3, they found Izabella deceased. She reportedly had “oral trauma and apparent bruises, cuts, scabs, and scrapes to arms, legs, torso, and face, including one black eye and a gash over her other eye.”
Andrea Loving and Nicholas Loving’s older daughters woke them around 12 a.m. and told them Izabella was vomiting, People reported. She reportedly stopped breathing around 2 a.m., but her parents did not call 911 right away, waiting until 6:30 a.m. to contact police.
Nicholas Loving reportedly told investigators that the night Izabella died, he gave her a bath and put her in a 5-by-5-foot box that had a lock on it.
“Nicholas admitted that they would sometimes keep Izabella in a small, make-shift cubby in the girls’ room,” sometimes as punishment, according to court documents, per People. The affidavit claims the couple’s other daughters slept in a “nice, Queen-sized bed.”
Andrea Loving alleged she saw her husband kick their young daughter in the genitals before her death. She also said she watched him drag Izabella up the stairs, possibly hitting her head on the wall, the news outlet reported. She also told investigators Nicholas Loving told her to “bury” Izabella in the backyard. Police arrested Nicholas Loving on charges of child abuse resulting in substantial bodily harm shortly after Izabella’s death.
“I should go to jail for not helping her and Nick should go to jail for killing her,” her mother reportedly told police during an interview, per court documents, People reported. Nearly four months after Izabella’s death, police arrested Andrea Loving on charges of child abuse with great bodily harm.
Per KTVN, the medical examiner’s office ruled Izabella’s death a homicide. She died from bacterial pneumonia but also suffered malnutrition, dehydration, and medical neglect. Izabella also had several blunt force injuries, all of which contributed to her death.
“While we cannot comment on an active prosecution, we remain firmly committed to securing full justice for Izabella Loving in the proceedings ahead,” Washoe County District Åttorney Chris Hicks shared in a statement given to the media, including KTVN and People.
