MIAMI -- A mother and her two young daughters were found dead in a closet on Tuesday, police said.

A neighbor who has access to the house on NW 4th St. noticed a foul odor around 2:30 p.m. and discovered three bodies in a bedroom walk-in closet, according to Miami-Dade Police. The girls were aged four and eight.

"We have the murder of a woman and two kids, so there is a public safety concern, we know there is somebody out there who did this," Miami-Dade Police spokesman Det. Roy Rutland told reporters. "As far as whether or not this was somebody who knew them, it's still too early to tell, we are exhausting all leads."

Friends identified the mother as Gladys Machado. Olga Espinoza described the woman as friendly, outgoing and pretty.

The children’s father arrived on the scene late Tuesday night. He did not comment.

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A six-year-old male relative was found alive at another location, police said.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Department will determine the cause and manner of the deaths, police said.