![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6_CC_DANIEL_BURIAL_SCENE10.jpg\")
(Image: collinsphotos.com)<\/p>\nDaniel Aruebose would have celebrated his eighth birthday today(Image: collinsphotos.com)<\/p>\n
The mum of tragic toddler Daniel Aruebose<\/a> is said to have been left stunned after gardai upgraded her son\u2019s death to a homicide <\/a>investigation with sources saying she is insisting neither she nor Daniel\u2019s dad Ciaran Dirrane could have harmed him.<\/p>\n Tragic Daniel, who went missing over four years ago from his home in Donabate, Co Dublin, would have turned eight today.<\/p>\n In September, following extensive searches of marshy land around 4km from the apartment at The Gallery where Daniel was last seen alive when he was just three years old, his skeletal remains were discovered buried in a shallow grave.<\/p>\n Gardai<\/a> believe he was secretly buried after he died.<\/p>\n On Thursday, gardai confirmed that following the identification of the remains as those of tragic Daniel\u2019s<\/a>, the investigation has been upgraded to a homicide probe.<\/p>\n Detectives now believe that Daniel died because of the actions of another person or persons. A number of people have been interviewed but so far no arrests have been made.<\/p>\n Following the upgrading of the investigation to a homicide probe, sources say Daniel\u2019s mum Maria Aruebose<\/a> \u2018reacted with shock.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cMaria reacted with shock wondering how it could be upgraded to homicide,\u201d sources say.<\/p>\n \u201cShe maintains she didn\u2019t do anything to harm Daniel and maintains Daniel\u2019s dad Ciaran Dirrane wouldn\u2019t have done anything to harm him either.<\/p>\n \u201cShe continues to maintain that they discovered him dead in his bed and that he died of natural causes and they panicked and secretly buried him.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier we reported that Maria told gardai that she and Daniel\u2019s dad panicked after finding their son dead in his bed in July 2021.<\/p>\n They reportedly tried to revive him in the bath using hot and cold water.<\/p>\n In a state of panic when they realised he was dead they decided not to contact emergency services but placed his body in a backpack and walked about 4km to an area of wasteland along the Portrane Road where they secretly buried him in a shallow grave dug by hand.<\/p>\n Daniel’s death and secret burial went undiscovered until a standard check on social welfare payments first raised concerns at the Department of Social Protection for his safety and whereabouts.<\/p>\n The department alerted Tusla <\/a>who contacted garda\u00ed, who then commenced a search of waste ground near his home in Donabate last September.<\/p>\n Both Maria and Ciaran have assisted gardai with their investigation into his death and told them where to search for his body after they admitted he was dead. Maria and Ciaran separated after Daniel\u2019s death and Ciaran moved to Brazil where he is now in a new relationship.<\/p>\n Daniel had been in foster care for the first year of his life at the request of his parents but was then reunited with them after they decided they wanted to care for him.<\/p>\n The skeletal remains of the boy were discovered after a two and a half week search of the marshy land in September.<\/p>\n The results of the postmortem examination were inconclusive as to the cause of Daniel\u2019s death. His remains are still with the coroner and have not yet been released for burial.<\/p>\n On Thursday, DNA analysis on the remains confirmed that they are those of little Daniel and gardai upgraded the investigation to a homicide probe.<\/p>\n Detectives now believe that the child was killed because of the actions of a person or persons and did not die from natural causes.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3_donabate-breaking-news-3.jpg\")
An Garda Siochana corden off an area where is believed body parts have been discovered in the search for Daniel Aruebose(Image: Sam Boal \/ Collins Photos)![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/547748549_1228080492689135_6610106112734612027_n.jpg\")
Daniel Aruebose. <\/p>\n![\"On](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_donabate-breaking-news-1.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\n