A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of a toddler's remains in Donabate, north Dublin, last year. The suspect was detained at Dublin Airport after being deported from Brazil, where he had been living under an irregular immigration status.
The remains of Daniel Aruebose, believed to be around three years old when he went missing, were found on wasteland off Portrane Road in September 2021. Gardaí had suspected the child was buried there, a theory confirmed by the grim discovery.
The arrest comes after a joint operation between Irish and Brazilian authorities. The suspect had been held in Brazil since December on immigration grounds, as Ireland has no extradition treaty with the South American country. Brazilian Federal Police said the arrest was part of an international operation coordinated with Gardaí.
Daniel's disappearance came to light when officials from the Department of Social Protection could not verify his location during a welfare check. The boy's death has prompted a thorough investigation, with the suspect now detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a Dublin Garda station.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed the arrest, stating: 'As part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Daniel Aruebose, Gardaí have this afternoon arrested a male aged in his 20s on suspicion of murder. Investigations are ongoing.'
