A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murdering three-year-old Daniel Aruebose in a significant development in a long-running investigation.
Daniel Aruebose was last seen alive at his home in The Gallery apartments, Donabate, north County Dublin, more than four and a half years ago when he was just three years old. His disappearance remained unreported for an extended period, and no concerns were raised about his welfare during that time.
The case only came to light after officials at the Department of Social Protection noticed irregularities during a routine check of social welfare payments. This prompted the child and family agency Tusla to become involved, and Tusla in turn alerted An Garda SÃochána.
Gardaà launched a search of waste ground close to the child’s home in Donabate. After two and a half weeks of searching, skeletal remains were discovered. Those remains were formally identified as belonging to Daniel Aruebose on 17 September 2025.
The investigation was upgraded to a homicide inquiry in December 2025. Late that same month, a woman in her 20s was arrested on suspicion of murder. She was later released without charge, and the investigation continued.
Around the same period in late December 2025, a man believed to be connected to the case was detained in Brazil on immigration-related grounds after authorities there determined he was in an irregular situation. Brazilian police coordinated with Irish gardaÃ, and the man was deported.
On Tuesday 10 February 2026, detectives arrested the man in his 20s at Dublin Airport shortly after his arrival following the deportation from Brazil. He is now being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in the Dublin region, where he is being questioned.
The investigation is being led by detectives based in Swords, with support from specialist units including the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Gardaà have stated that inquiries remain ongoing, and no further details about the man’s identity or potential charges have been released at this stage.
The tragic case has drawn widespread attention due to the length of time that passed before Daniel’s fate became known and the circumstances surrounding the concealment of his death and burial
