By james art A married Florida man has been arrested in connection with the unexpected 2016 disappearance of his secret ex-girlfriend and their 8-year-old love child.
Gustavo Castano Restrepo — who has long been the prime suspect in the case — was indicted Tuesday on two counts of kidnapping that led to the deaths of Liliana Moreno, 43, and their daughter, Daniela Moreno, 8, Local 10 News reported.
“It’s been eight years and we haven’t heard from them, so it was really, really shocking and unbelievable,” Liliana’s brother, Eduardo, told the publication.
According to the indictment obtained by WSVN, Restrepo, 55, kidnapped 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 of Moreno and her daughter’s disappearance spread after they were last seen near the Home Depot in Hialeah Gardens.
Restrepo then told relatives he got into an argument with Moreno and her daughter before kicking them out of his car along the highway.
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 his eye after being punched by police 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 preliminary arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 1 in Miami.
Investigators are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the whereabouts of Moreno and her daughter.