FBI Makes Arrest in 2016 Cold Case of Missing Mother and Daughter in South Florida
Arrest of Gustavo Castaño, who is the father of the child and is accused of kidnapping resulting in death.
A major breakthrough has occurred in the unsolved case of Liliana Moreno and her young daughter Daniela, of Colombian origin, who at the time of the events resided in South Florida.
They disappeared on May 30, 2016, with Gustavo Castaño being the last person apparently to have had contact with them and who took them from their home.
The FBI has arrested the girl’s father, who has long been a person of interest in the investigation, eight years after the disappearance of Liliana Moreno and her daughter, Daniela.
According to the unsealed indictment, around May 30, 2016, in Miami-Dade County, in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, Gustavo Castaño kidnapped, took, and held Liliana Moreno for ransom and used a cell phone, the internet, a motor vehicle, and the Florida’s Turnpike in the commission and furtherance of the crime.
The kidnapping resulted in the death of Liliana Moreno and Daniella Moreno, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
“Eight years have passed and we haven’t heard anything from them, so it was really shocking and unbelievable,” said Eduardo Moreno, Liliana’s brother.
Gustavo Castaño Was Under a Cloud of Suspicion from the Start
He is the biological father of the child and kept it a secret from his own wife and family at the time. Castaño told detectives he left the pair near a Home Depot in Hialeah Gardens.
Concerned family members believe it was all a lie.
In Liliana’s apartment in Doral, disturbing signs were found: unfinished meals, her phone, and her purse, suggesting they planned to return. But they did not.
According to the investigation, the last person to see them alive was Castaño, Daniela’s father, who allegedly had invited them to lunch that day.
According to statements from family members, on the day of the disappearance, Castaño allegedly had a heated argument with Liliana before leaving them at a location between the Turnpike and Okeechobee Road.
“This is the beginning to find out what happened to them and to know where they are,” said Moreno. “That is the main goal for us: to know where they are.”
Since the mother and daughter disappeared in May 2016, dozens of people have participated in search efforts. An annual vigil has also been held in front of Castaño’s house to pressure him to speak.
Their Loved Ones Refused to Lose Hope
“She is my niece and I am her uncle; I hope to see her again,” said Moreno. “I don’t believe her story ended that same day.”
Castaño is expected to appear before a judge in South Florida later this week.
A pretrial detention hearing has been scheduled in the Miami Magistrate Court for November 1.
If Gustavo Castaño is convicted of the charged offense, the mandatory minimum sentence is life imprisonment, and the maximum penalty is death.
These charges suggest that authorities have sufficient evidence to prosecute the case as a homicide, despite Liliana and her daughter Daniela not having been found.
Anyone with information about this matter or any other federal crime is urged to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
Image: Local10
