A shocking arrest has been made in connection to a cold-case disappearance that has haunted a Florida community for the past eight years. Gustavo Castaño Restrepo, a married man, has been charged with the kidnapping resulting in the deaths of Liliana Moreno, 43, and their daughter, Daniela Moreno, 8. The case dates back to 2016 when the mother and daughter were last seen near a Home Depot in Hialeah Gardens, Florida.
The arrest of Restrepo, who has long been a suspect in the case, has brought some closure to the family who has been advocating for justice over the years. The disappearance of Liliana and Daniela captured national attention as details of their mysterious vanishing unfolded. Restrepo initially claimed that he had a fight with Moreno and their daughter before kicking them out of his car along the turnpike. However, suspicions arose when Restrepo was found stabbing himself in a nearby parking lot and later lost an eye after a confrontation with officers.
Despite collecting evidence from a warehouse used by Restrepo in the days following the disappearance, no charges were filed until now. The indictment alleges that Restrepo abducted the mother and daughter, hiding the fact that he was Daniela’s father from his wife and family. If convicted, Restrepo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and potentially the death penalty.
A pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for November 1st in Miami as the investigation continues. Investigators are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that could lead to the discovery of Moreno and her daughter’s whereabouts. The arrest of Restrepo has brought a glimmer of hope to a case that has remained unsolved for far too long.
