5-Year-Old Kansas Girl Was Kicked Out of House by Mom Before She Was Raped and Murdered: ‘Everybody Loved Zoey Except Her Parents’

The mother of a five-year-old girl in Topeka, Kansas reportedly kicked her daughter and other family members out of their dilapidated home weeks before the young girl was brutally raped and murdered at a nearby homeless encampment.

Mickel Cherry, 25, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion that he murdered and sexually assaulted Zoey Felix. They are believed to have lived in the same home, along with Zoey's father, mother, and teenage half-sister, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

The group relocated to a nearby campsite after Zoey's mother, Holly Jo Felix, 36, reportedly expelled them about two weeks ago.

Neighbors said the home frequently had no heating, AC, or running water — and that the floors were littered with dog feces. Zoey was often left to wander the neighborhood or navigate the house's unsafe conditions alone.

Those who lived nearby told Kansas City's KCTV they knew Zoey wasn't being properly cared for and had routinely called police and Child Protective Services — but as far as they could see, the young girl's living conditions never improved.

Some offered the girl food and clothes when they could.

“Zoey has been on her own the entire time,” neighbor Sharon Williams told the outlet.

“I’m trying not to cry,” said Shaniqua Bradley, another nearby resident. “I’ve honestly been sick. It’s disgusting.”

Holly Felix is currently on probation for aggravated battery stemming from an incident last year. She was convicted of causing great bodily harm against a victim, referred to in court documents as "Z.F." with a 2018 birth date — presumably her daughter, Zoey.

In the same case, she pleaded guilty to driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle. Other charges, including two for domestic battery and one for criminal restraint, were reportedly dismissed at the time.

She was previously convicted of possessing stolen property and domestic battery in Nevada and was at one point barred from having contact with Zoey's father, Ezepquiel Felix-Guerrero, as well as another victim believed to be Zoey's half-sister, per the Capital-Journal.

Officers with the Topeka Police Department responded to a medical call near a gas station at around 6 p.m. Monday and found firefighters trying to save Zoey.

She was reportedly discovered in a field near the homeless encampment where she and Cherry had been living. Zoey was taken to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.

A stuffed animal, backpack, and pink hairbrush were found inside the tent.

Although Cherry and Zoey had apparently lived with each other at various points, the nature of their relationship remains unclear.

Officers last visited Zoey's home in September 2022. Although there was no power at the time, they left her in the care of her family because she "was in good spirits and apparent health," according to a police report obtained by KCTV.

The owner of the home — Angela Massengill, who lives at a different residence in Topeka — told the Topeka Capital-Journal that she had recently begun to clean the exterior of the property after the city notified her about its condition.

"No complaints of traffic or illegal tenants were brought to my attention previously," she said.

Relatives, including Holly Felix's cousin, Brandi Sutcliffe-Mcardle said they had no idea that Zoey wasn't being cared for.

"Any one of us would have jumped at the chance to take this little girl in and provide her a home," she said.

A GoFundMe campaign reportedly organized by Sutcliffe-Mcardle's brother described Zoey as a "sweet, funny and goofy little girl who had a great smile and laugh that lit up the world."

Cherry was arrested on suspicion of murder and rape of a victim younger than 14 and booked into the Shawnee County Jail. His bond is set at $4 million, and he will next appear in court on December 21.

“Everybody on the block took care of Zoey,” Sheryl Tyree, a neighbor, told the Capital-Journal. “Everybody loved Zoey, except her parents.”