The man arrested in the disappearance of his 8-year-old daughter and her mother in South Florida more than eight years ago was back in court Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty.
Gustavo Castaño Restrepo entered the plea during a hearing in federal court.
"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," defense attorney Phil Reizenstein said.
Restrepo, 55, was arrested by the FBI last month for kidnapping resulting in death in the disappearance of Liliana Moreno, along with the disappearance of Castano and Moreno's daughter, Daniela.
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He'd been ordered held without bond at a hearing earlier this month.
Moreno, of Doral, and Daniela were last seen on May 30, 2016, in or near the Home Depot on Okeechobee Road in Hialeah. At the time of their disappearance, Moreno was 41 years old and Daniela was 8. They haven't been heard from since.
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In a news release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said Restrepo is accused of kidnapping Moreno and that the kidnapping resulted in the deaths of Moreno and Daniela.
Detectives in 2021 said Restrepo went to pick up Moreno and her daughter, and the couple got into an argument. Restrepo told detectives he dropped the two off on Turnpike Avenue.
Investigators pointed to Restrepo as a person of interest in the case but previously lacked enough information to make an arrest. He was questioned by detectives but never charged until last month.
Moreno's family said Restrepo kept his relationship with her and their child a secret from his own wife and kids at the time.
And a few days after the disappearance, police said they found a suicidal Restrepo in a parking lot with self-inflicted stab wounds. During a confrontation with police, Restrepo lost his right eye after an officer used a Taser on him.
Reizenstein said he expects Restrepo's case to go to trial next year. He could possibly face the death penalty if convicted.
"The government needs to make a decision about whether or not they will seek the death penalty, if they do that will require some work between defense attorneys, prosecutors and the court, we're prepared for that. Of course we strongly hope they don't do that," Reizenstein said.
Moreno's brother Eduardo said he wasn't surprised by the not guilty plea. He said he just wants to know what happened to his sister and niece.
"We are waiting eight years and counting that we don't know what could happen with them," he said Monday. "We are still hoping they're alive."
