WEST GREENWICH, R.I. — Four family members who were found dead in a Rhode Island home last week were the victims of a triple murder-suicide, law enforcement officials announced Wednesday.
Officers responded to a home at 15 Cheyenne Trail in West Greenwich for a wellness check just before 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, after 39-year-old Danielle Arruda’s coworkers reported that she had not shown up at work on Thursday or Friday, West Greenwich Police Chief Richard Ramsay said during a news conference.
“They felt something was wrong. They were also concerned because Danielle never misses work and she’s seven months pregnant,” Ramsay explained.
When officers arrived at the home just before 10:15 a.m., Ramsay said they found two vehicles in the driveway and forced entry into the home after several failed attempts to get someone to come to the door.
Those officers then found the bodies of two young children, a man, and a pregnant woman, according to Ramsay.
“It was apparent there were no signs of life to any of the bodies and that all four had suffered fatal gunshot wounds,” Ramsay said. “It was also apparent no one had exited the house because the door that was accessible to the outside was not only locked but had a safety chain latched, which could only be done from the inside of the home.”
Ramsay identified the victims as Danielle Arruda, 5-year-old Adel Arruda, and 2-year-old Felex Arruda.
“All three victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds from a semi-automatic firearm,” Ramsay said.
The suspect, Danielle’s husband and the father to the two children, 39-year-old Nicholas Arruda, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Ramsay noted that an M4-type semiautomatic firearm was found on the ground near him.
An examination of the firearm has not yet been conducted, according to Ramsay.
The Arruda family purchased the home in December 2019 and Ramsay confirmed that the West Greenwich Police Department had no contact with them prior to January 3.
“I wish there could be an explanation to help you make sense of this horrific act, but the truth is we may never know why it happened,” Ramsay said. “The investigation to date hasn’t yielded any explanation or clues as to why Nicholas Arruda committed the horrendous crime against his family before taking his own life.”
Ramsay noted that Nicholas Arruda was previously arrested in 2014 in connection with a domestic violence incident, but the victim wasn’t Danielle. The case was ultiamtely dismissed when the victim refused to cooperate.
An investigation is ongoing.
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