Gardaí have arrested a woman in connection with the investigation into the disappearance of Daniel Aruebose, the little boy who went missing in north Co Dublin over four years ago. The woman is the first person to be arrested as part of this investigation.
The woman, in her 20s, was arrested this morning on suspicion of murder and is being held at a garda station in Dublin. She is being detained under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act and can be questioned for up to 24 hours.
Earlier this month, Gardaí upgraded the inquiry into the disappearance of the toddler in north Dublin to a homicide investigation.
Daniel’s remains were found in open ground in Donabate in September. His birth certificate shows that today, December 12, would have been his eighth birthday. He was last seen alive at his home four and a half years ago, when he was just three years old.
Daniel, who lived in the Gallery apartments in the north Dublin suburb, had not been seen for a number of years before his death. Gardaí believe that Daniel died, or was killed, when he was aged about three years old in 2021, with his remains taken to the field and buried there.
The child had been placed with a foster family on the day he was born and remained with the family for a year. His parents had intended to place the child for adoption, however they had a change of heart one year in and Daniel was returned to them. Tusla oversaw Daniel’s care, with the agency involved with the family until 2020, when he was aged two.
The fact the child was missing only emerged when officials at the Department of Social Protection made checks on a social welfare payment, related to Daniel, that was being claimed. Staff became suspicious when they were not able to secure any proof of his whereabouts.
In September, the foster family who cared for Daniel Aruebose for the first 18 months of his life described their devastation. His foster sister remembered him as a baby who loved to sing and dance, describing him as an important part of their family.