New arrest made in decade-old disappearance of a Miami mother and daughter, feds say

For nearly a decade, the families of Liliana Moreno and her 9-year-old daughter Daniella had no answers after their sudden disappearance.

But now after eight years, the FBI has arrested Gustavo Alfonso Castano Restrepo, 55, in connection with the disappearance and death of his ex-partner and their daughter, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

He appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Tuesday afternoon.

The case, which had gone cold, began on May 31, 2016, when police were alerted by Moreno’s sister in Colombia that she had not heard from her.

Police found that Daniella had not been attending school, and upon arriving at Moreno’s Northwest Miami-Dade apartment, they discovered her purse, wallet and car — all still at her home, with the front door locked. However, there was no sign of the mother and daughter.

In the following days, police conducted extensive searches through canals, marshlands and woods in the Doral area with officers, K9 units and volunteers, but they found no trace of Moreno or Daniella.

READ MORE: Psychic, K9s, high-tech help, and still no sign of a missing mom and daughter

Throughout the investigation, Restrepo remained a key person of interest. Just days after the disappearances, on June 3, he was found in his truck at a Home Depot parking lot in Hialeah Gardens.

Officers discovered him attempting to drink a toxic substance and stabbing himself in the neck. In an effort to subdue him, an officer deployed a Taser, which struck Restrepo in the eye, leaving him partially blind.

Family at the time told the Herald that Restrepo was married to another woman when Daniella was born and called his relationship with Moreno “stormy.” Moreno, an architect, often worked with Restrepo, who was in construction.

Now, Restrepo is facing a federal charge of kidnapping resulting in death.

The indictment said that on May 30, 2016, the day before the mother and daughter were reported missing, Restrepo kidnapped Moreno. That “resulted in the death” of Moreno and Daniella.

In a news release, federal prosecutors did not say how the mother-daughter pair died or why Restrepo was arrested after eight years.

A pre-trial detention hearing in Miami federal court is scheduled for Friday.

If Restrepo is convicted of the charged offense, the mandatory minimum sentence is life in prison and the maximum penalty is death.

Miami Herald writer Jay Weaver contributed to this report.

This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 4:27 PM.