HIALEAH GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - The FBI has arrested a Miami man in connection with the 2016 disappearance of a Doral mother and her young daughter, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Gustavo Alfonso Castano Restrepo, 55, appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon on charges of kidnapping resulting in death.
According to an unsealed indictment, Restrepo allegedly abducted 43-year-old Liliana Moreno and their 9-year-old daughter, Daniela, on May 30, 2016, in Miami-Dade County.
The case, which captured national attention, began when Moreno and her daughter were last seen near a Home Depot in Hialeah Gardens. Authorities said Restrepo’s alleged actions ultimately resulted in the deaths of Moreno and her daughter.
In the years following their disappearance, Moreno’s family repeatedly pleaded for answers and urged the public to come forward with any information.
Eduardo Moreno, the brother of Liliana Moreno and the uncle of her child, said in 2021 that the family’s worst nightmare was coming true.
“The last time we spoke with my sister and my niece was May 30. It was Memorial Day,” Moreno said. “It’s funny that we complete five years when, in the beginning, we were expecting a couple of days, a couple of weeks.”
Restrepo, who was initially named a person of interest, reportedly told family members he had a fight with Moreno and her daughter before kicking them out of his car along the Turnpike on Okeechobee Road.
Police later suspected foul play and named Restrepo as a person of interest after he was found stabbing himself in a Hialeah Gardens parking lot. During the confrontation, he lost an eye after being tased by officers.
Investigators collected evidence from a warehouse used by Restrepo days after the pair disappeared, but no charges were filed until this recent arrest.
On Tuesday, Restrepo’s family was seen leaving federal court in an emotional state.
If convicted, Restrepo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and could face the death penalty.
A pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for Nov. 1 in Miami.
The reward of up to $25,000 remains available for information leading to the discovery of Moreno and her daughter’s whereabouts.
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