No immediate arrests as gardaí work to establish if Donabate child was murdered

Gardai are not expecting to make any immediate arrests after discovering the suspected remains of a missing boy - on land identified by his mother. Officers on Wednesday named tragic tot Daniel Aruebose as the missing three year old who is suspected to have been secretly buried by his parents on land in Donabate, north Dublin, after dying in what they claim was natural causes - as many as four years ago. Issuing a picture of young Daniel for the first time - gardai stated that the image depicted him at two and a half years old - shortly before he's believed to have gone missing. It is believed to be one of very few pictures that exist of the child - whose existence is suspected to have been covered up after 2021 and was only flagged as a concern by Tusla in August of this year. Now investigators hope that locals living around the Gallery Apartments in Donabate, might recognise the child from the image - and come forward with vital information - as officers work to establish if something more sinister occurred. Gardai discovered the remains on Wednesday morning within an area identified by his mother, who has been cooperating with detectives since the investigation began on August 29. The mother has claimed that she and her former partner panicked and buried Daniel after discovering he had passed away of natural causes. On Wednesday, gardai investigating the disappearance of Daniel Aruebose discovered human skeletal remains during a search of wasteland on Portrane Road in Donabate (Image: Sam Boal / Collins Photos) Now it is understood that gardai will take their time and are not anticipating making any arrests until a full postmortem examination takes place. As of the discovery of the body, sources said gardai have at this point no evidence of foul play - and should anyone be arrested at this point, it would only be for a summary offence. That would mean such a person would be facing a relatively minor charge in relation to the disposal of a body - which it is understood gardai have no desire to carry out. Gardai will now work to establish if a murder or accidental death has occurred - and to see if what they have uncovered fits with the narrative told to them by the child's parents to date. The mother had claimed that she and her then partner panicked - placed Daniel in a bath - and subsequently carried his body in a bag to the field where they buried him and covered up his death for the past four years. An Garda Siochana corden off an area where is believed body parts have been discovered in the search for a missing child presumed dead in Donabate. (Image: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos) Investigators, with the help of the mother, ultimately did discover his remains and clothes within an area she pointed out to them - after they knocked on her door almost three weeks ago. The mother, who was notified of the body discovery, is understood to still be co-operating with the investigation - and gardai are also speaking with the father, who now lives in Brazil with a new partner. Gardaí are now continuing to make house to house enquiries at The Gallery Apartments complex- in the hope of getting a better understanding of Daniel's last days. The massive investigation involves officers from Swords supported by Crime East DMR North Garda Division, Divisional Search Team, Divisional Scenes of Crime Team, Uniform and Community Policing resources. The investigation is also supported by National units including Garda National Technical Bureau, Garda Air Support Unit, Garda Dog Unit and the Garda Síochána Analysis Service. External expertise including a Forensic Anthropologist, Forensic Archaeologist and specialist PSNI Cadaver Dogs have all been utilised as part of the search. The discovery is a significant development in a case that began on August 29 when Tusla, the Child and Family Agency contacted gardai in Swords having earlier been contacted by staff from the Department of Social Protection after concerns about an application for child benefit. The following day gardai called to the mother's apartment in Donabate where she ultimately told them the child had been secretly buried. By Sunday, August 30, that apartment had been sealed off - while the mother brought gardai to the search site off the Portrane Road. An Garda Siochana cordon off an area where is believed body parts have been discovered in the search for Daniel Aruebose (Image: Sam Boal / Collins Photos) Since then gardai have made contact with the child's father in Brazil - though they have not spoken to him face to face. He has been co-operating and has backed up the story that has been told - but investigators want to speak to him further. The mother was brought back to the land along with her solicitor as gardai worked to find the specific location she had told them Daniel was buried. In a statement on Wednesday gardai said officers in Swords are "continuing to investigate all of the circumstances of the disappearance of Daniel Aruebose," as they confirmed the discovery of human skeletal remains of a child. "An Garda Síochána believe these to be the remains of Daniel Aruebose. An Garda Síochána is currently engaging with the local coroner in relation to the discovery of these remains," a garda spokesperson said. "The remains will be subject of careful and sensitive exhumation from the current burial site. Formal identification of the remains will now have to be carried out including DNA analysis. Daniel is known to have resided at The Gallery Apartments, Donabate, Co. Dublin. It has been a number of years since there has been any confirmed sighting of Daniel, who would now be 7 years of age. Concerns for Daniel were raised by The Child and Family Agency (TUSLA) to An Garda Síochána on Friday 29th August 2025. "Following enquiries carried out by and information available to investigating Gardaí to date, An Garda Síochána are satisfied that Daniel is deceased. An Garda Síochána is appealing to the public not to assume that the investigation team know information that you may have or that any information you may have is insignificant. Please contact An Garda Síochána and let the investigation team determine the significance of any information," the spokesperson further stated. "Any contact will be welcomed by the investigation team and treated in the strictest confidence. An Garda Síochána is aware of the extensive public commentary on this investigation. An Garda Síochána appeals to every member of the public to verify any content that they may be seeing in relation to this investigation, including speculation, rumours and theories on what may have happened to Daniel. An Garda Síochána appeals to all members of the public to independently verify any information that you are reading on social media and/ or messaging apps." Gardaí are appealing to anyone who has any information in relation to the death of Daniel to contact the investigation team at Swords Garda Station on 01 666 4700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any member of An Garda Síochána. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 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