Mother and son found dead with dog in Santo Domingo apartment

The decomposed bodies of a mother and her son were discovered in their apartment on Avenida Rómulo Betancourt in the Bella Vista sector of the Dominican Republic's capital on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Their pet dog was also found dead. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death, with no signs of forced entry reported Source: Infobae.

What happened

Neighbors alerted authorities after noticing a foul odor since Friday, initially attributing it to a dead rat. Emergency services and firefighters forced open the apartment door after a family member contacted the 9-1-1 emergency system on Tuesday Source: Diario Libre. Inside, they found the bodies of Lucinda Emelinda Rodríguez Restituyo, 68, and her son Óscar Gabriel Curiel Rodríguez, 41, along with their deceased dog Source: Listín Diario.

Discrepancies in reports

There are some inconsistencies among media reports regarding the victims' ages and names. While most sources identify the mother as Lucinda Emelinda Rodríguez Restituyo aged 68, one outlet lists her as Enegilda Rodríguez Restituyo, 66, and the son as Óscar Gabriel Rodríguez, 43 Source: Diario Libre. The exact cause of death remains unknown pending forensic analysis by the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses (INACIF) Source: El Caribe.

• The bodies were found in different rooms of the apartment Source: Infobae.
• Neighbors reported no unusual behavior from the family, describing them as "normal" Source: Diario Libre.
• Authorities are continuing the investigation in coordination with the Public Ministry Source: Hoy.