In court Wednesday, the father who was arrested over eight years ago in connection with the abduction of his 8-year-old daughter and her mother in South Florida entered a not guilty plea.
At a federal court hearing, Gustavo Castaño Restrepo entered the plea. “We entered a plea of not guilty, we asked for discovery, which is all the information in the case that the government has to provide, and we asked that the case be set for trial,” Phil Reizenstein, the defense lawyer, said.
Last month, the FBI arrested Restrepo, 55, for kidnapping Liliana Moreno and causing her murder, as well as for the disappearance of Castano and Moreno’s daughter, Daniela.
Restrepo is charged with kidnapping
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida noted in a news release that Restrepo is charged with kidnapping Moreno and that Moreno and Daniela were killed as a result of the kidnapping.
The pair argued when Restrepo went to pick up Moreno and her daughter, according to detectives in 2021.
Detectives were informed by Restrepo that he deposited the two individuals on Turnpike Avenue. Despite having insufficient information to warrant an arrest in the past, investigators identified Restrepo as a person of interest in the case.
Detectives questioned him, but he wasn’t charged until last month. According to Moreno’s relatives, Restrepo concealed his relationship with her and their child from his own wife and children during that period.
A suicidal Restrepo with self-inflicted stab wounds was discovered in a parking area by authorities a few days after the disappearance.
After an officer deployed a Taser on Restrepo during a dispute with the police, he lost his right eye. According to Reizenstein, a trial in Restrepo’s case is anticipated for next year. In the event of a conviction, he might be executed.
“The government must decide whether to pursue the death penalty; if they do, it will necessitate cooperation from the court, prosecutors, and defense lawyers. We are ready for that.
It is our sincere desire that they do not do that,” Reizenstein stated. Eduardo, Moreno’s brother, stated that he was not shocked by the not guilty plea.
He stated that his only concern is the whereabouts of his sister and niece. “We are waiting eight years and counting that we don’t know what could happen with them,” he remarked on Monday. “We are still hoping they’re alive.”