Mother seen ‘happily’ playing with her children days before family-of-four found dead
Tributes pour in for well-liked family as police say they are not looking anyone else in connection with the incident
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Tributes have been paid to a family after four bodies were found at a flat in west London by police.
Local residents spoke of their shock following the discovery of Michal Wlodarczyk, 39, Monika, 35, Maja, 11, and Dawid, 3, at a home in Hounslow, just days after the mother and two children had been seen playing “very happily” together.
Metropolitan Police officers forced their way into the property on Staines Road, Bedfont, on Friday having been called after concerns about the family. Detectives have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Mr Wlodarczyk worked as a builder, neighbours said, while his wife was a cleaner at a hotel.
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A tearful mother said her daughter – who was in year six with Maja at nearby Southville primary school – attended a sleepover party at the house on 31 May.
Maria Gouveia, 37, said: “It’s tragic. Maja was a lovely, beautiful girl, with a strong personality, but she had not been in school for a few days. People in her class were texting her, my daughter messaged her on Snapchat, it was not like her to go quiet.
“I think they were going to Mallorca for the dad’s 40th birthday very soon, that’s where I hoped they were when I heard about this.
“It’s shocking, the little boy was so sweet, he was going to start nursery in a few months, we are praying for them.”
Neighbour Oana Petraru, 31, told of how she often saw Monika joking and laughing with the two children in the evenings and on weekends, including just a couple of days before their deaths, but added she rarely saw the father.
She said: “I just saw the mum because the garden is just out there. I saw her sometimes with the kids outside. They were very happy. She was always playing with them, with the ball, just being a mum, you know?
“I never saw the dad, only maybe last week they were playing outside and he was up on the shed and he was climbing up to take the balls down.”
Another mother, Naura Hooper, 46, said she used to take Maja out with her daughters.
“Maja was a nice girl, very intelligent and well-liked, the family were nice whenever I met them,” she said.
Her partner James Hoopa visited the family home on Saturday to lay flowers with his family.
“[Maja] was just a normal child, growing up, a lovely girl,” he said. “I don’t know how my daughter is going to get through this because my daughter is very best mates with her. This is a shock – it’s going to take some time to settle into this one.”
His wife told how their daughter, 11-year-old Jasmine ran home to her on Saturday morning to tell her: “I think something’s happened to Maja.”
Ms Hoopa said she would take Maja and Jasmine out, having recently gone shopping in Staines with the two girls. “I just can’t believe it,” she said. “[Maja] was a very brave girl, very mature for her age. It’s just a shock. I don’t know how we’re all going to pull through as family.”
Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, who is leading the investigation, said: “I would like to assure the community that specialist detectives are working to establish the circumstances which led to this tragic incident and we will provide further updates as soon as appropriate.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by what has happened.”