Our children are the most precious gifts we have. As parents, guardians, and members of a community, we do everything in our power to protect them, to keep them safe, and to give them the love and security they deserve. That’s why stories like this one are so difficult to process — because the pain, the grief, and the injustice feel far too heavy to bear.
This is the heartbreaking story of little Ava Ann Marie Tabor — a bright, joyful two-year-old whose life was tragically and violently cut short. Born on November 28, 2022, in Texarkana, Texas, Ava was full of light and laughter. She loved dancing, helping out in the kitchen, and spending time with her family. Her piercing sky-blue eyes and infectious smile could brighten any room. Her parents, Levi Landon James Tabor and Kylie Marie Perez, adored her more than anything. The young family lived in De Queen, Arkansas, and were building a life filled with love and hope for the future.
But everything changed in early March 2025. On that day, 19-year-old Wesley Davis was watching Ava at a home in Lockesburg, Arkansas. He had been left to babysit the little girl. At some point during that visit, something went horribly wrong. According to Sevier County Sheriff Robert Gentry, Davis called for emergency medical help when Ava suddenly became unresponsive. When first responders arrived, Ava’s condition was already critical. She was airlifted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Despite every effort from the medical team, Ava’s injuries were too severe. She passed away on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, leaving behind a family shattered by grief and a community in mourning.
The pain of Ava’s death was compounded by what investigators later discovered. Sheriff Gentry confirmed that Davis confessed to beating the two-year-old girl, a revelation that sent shockwaves through the town of De Queen and beyond. Initially, Davis was charged with first-degree domestic battery, but after Ava succumbed to her injuries, the charges were elevated to first-degree murder.
Ava’s mother, Kylie Perez, took to social media to express her devastation. In an emotional post on Facebook, she wrote: “Our very last time holding our baby… After two years of putting you to bed, making your bottles, playing with you, waking you up, taking you bye-bye, and listening to your mini concerts in the car… I’ll never get to do that again. No more Ava kisses, no more hearing ‘momma c’mon,’ no more baby loves… WESLEY DAVIS, you took this from me. YOU TOOK MY WORLD. YOU TOOK EVERYTHING I LIVED FOR. I will not stop until you get what you deserve. I LOVE YOU, AVA ANN MARIE TABOR. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MOMMY’S BABY. NEVER FORGOTTEN!”
The emotional weight of the tragedy is more than just personal — it has deeply impacted the entire community. Sheriff Gentry acknowledged that there have been public threats directed at Wesley Davis, including death threats and threats of physical harm. The sheriff’s office is urging everyone to remain calm and let the justice system take its course. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her, and we are going to do our best to see that the judicial system takes care of the one that harmed her,” Gentry stated in an interview with KSLA.
In response to the incident, Judge Bryan Chesshir ordered a no-contact directive that prevents Davis from having any communication with Ava’s family. He also set Davis’s bond at \$1 million. As legal proceedings continue, the family’s grief remains front and center.
Kylie described Ava as her “radiant light,” a child who brought joy to everyone she met. “My baby did not deserve this. And he \[Davis] deserves every bad thing that’s coming to him. And I will not stop until he gets it,” she told local media. Her determination to fight for justice has inspired others in the community to show support, mourning the loss of a life so young and so full of promise.
In an act of profound compassion amidst the heartache, Ava’s family made the decision to donate her organs — giving other children a chance at life, even as they mourned the loss of their own. This selfless gesture is a reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit, even in the darkest of times.
A funeral service to honor Ava Ann Marie Tabor’s life is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, at 2 p.m. at Chandler Funeral Home in De Queen, Arkansas. A visitation will be held the evening before, on Wednesday, March 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the same location. Friends, family, and community members will gather not only to say goodbye, but also to celebrate the short but meaningful life of a little girl who touched so many.
Stories like Ava’s leave us grappling with unanswerable questions. How could anyone hurt a child? How does a person do something so unthinkable to someone so innocent, so vulnerable, so full of life? These questions may never have satisfying answers. But what we can do — what we must do — is honor Ava’s memory by demanding justice, by protecting children everywhere, and by standing up for what’s right even when the weight of sorrow threatens to break us.
Ava Ann Marie Tabor’s story is now forever part of a community’s collective memory. And though she is gone, her light continues to shine in the hearts of those who loved her — and in the lives of those who now carry a part of her with them. May she rest in peace, and may justice be swift and certain.
