A little boy's fifth birthday was marred by an unthinkable tragedy after his mum died the night before.
Tatiana "Tania" Dokotaru, 34, had just returned from an overseas holiday with her son before she was found dead in her apartment in Liverpool, Sydney on Sunday evening.
Cops received an anonymous tip-off about a domestic dispute almost 24 hours before the grim discovery, raising questions about the force's response time.
Boyfriend Danny Zayat, 38, has been taken into custody on domestic violence charges, including choking and the breach of an earlier order.
In the days leading up to her tragic death, Tania had been spending time with her son and setting up a new business.
Then at around 2pm on Saturday, neighbours reported hearing her young son screeching from the apartment.
A few hours later and Tania's body was found with signs of trauma to the head.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Australia, heartbroken loved ones called her a "beautiful mum" who doted on her "bubbly" little boy, Zayn, adding the Russian national had moved to Australia last year.
The pair had a very special bond, they said.
"They just returned from a seven-day holiday in Thailand together," one said.
"He was a mummy's boy. She did everything for him. They were always together."
The friends added that Zayn turned five the day after his mum's body was found.
The youngster is being looked after by family members, while Sydney's care officials try to track down Tania's parents, who reside in Canada.
Days before she was found dead, Tania had been posting pictures of herself wearing shoes, clothes, watches and bags from high-end brands like Burberry and Louis Vuitton.
It's believed that this was part of a new business launch after she launched a business Instagram page with her donning the items.
Between Wednesday and Friday, she had posted 140 pictures.
