A married Florida man has been arrested in connection to the 2016 cold case disappearance of his secret ex-girlfriend and their 8-year-old love child.
Gustavo Castaño Restrepo — who has long been the prime suspect in the case — was charged Tuesday with two counts of kidnapping resulting in the deaths of Liliana Moreno, 43, and their daughter, Daniela Moreno, 8, Local 10 News reported.
“It has been eight years and we haven’t heard anything from them, so it was really, really shocking and unbelievable,” Liliana’s brother, Eduardo, told the outlet.
According to the indictment, obtained by WSVN, Restrepo, 55, allegedly abducted the mother and daughter on May 30, 2016 — after hiding the fact that he was the girl’s father from his wife and family.
The case made national headlines after news spread of Moreno and her daughter disappearing after last being seen near a Home Depot in Hialeah Gardens.
Restrepo then told relatives he had a fight with Moreno and her daughter before kicking them out of his car along the turnpike.
Police later suspected foul play and named Restrepo as a person of interest after he was found stabbing himself in a nearby parking lot. Restrepo lost an eye after being Tased by officers during the confrontation.
Investigators collected evidence from a warehouse used by Restrepo in the days after the disappearance, but no charges were filed until his arrest.
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.
Investigators are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the discovery of Moreno and her daughter’s whereabouts.
