MIAMI, United States. – The ashes of the Cuban musician José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, known artistically as El Taiger, will arrive in Cuba this afternoon, according to reported the Cuban Institute of Music (ICM). The urban genre artist, who died on October 10 in Miami, Florida, will be fired in an intimate ceremony, in response to the request of his family.
The Cuban Institute of Music specified that “the ashes will be buried in the Juan Formel Room of the El Sauce Cultural Center, in Havana, and will later be deposited in the Colón necropolis.” According to the institution, both family members and close friends of the musician have been accompanied by the Cuban cultural authorities during the days of the urban musician’s hospitalization and after his death.
In its statement, the ICM told El Taiger’s admirers to respect the family’s decision to say goodbye to the young artist privately. “We ask the admirers of the young musician to respect the family decision to say goodbye to him in an intimate ceremony,” the institution stressed.
Taiger was found last Thursday, October 3, in the back of an SUV, with a gunshot wound to the forehead. At that time, the Police Miami reported that the vehicle had been found just a few blocks from Jackson Memorial Hospital, suggesting that someone had attempted to take the musician to receive medical care, although he had abandoned him before reaching the hospital.
“They found his body in the trunk of the car and apparently someone was driving. “They tried, I guess they tried to take him to the hospital, but they didn’t and they simply left him a couple of blocks from Jackson,” explained Marcel Reinosa, manager of the popular Cuban reggaeton artist.
After learning what happened, speculation arose on social networks about a possible suicide attempt. Both Reinosa and Nelson Martínez, the reggaeton singer’s former manager, completely denied these rumors. “That is false, completely false,” Martínez stated, adding that El Taiger “loved life, he is not going to kill himself.” For his part, Reinosa reinforced this version by saying: “I can’t say that he took his life because he was in the trunk of the car, so how would he take his life?”
This Thursday, Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales stated in an exclusive interview with Univision 23 News that the case of the murder of Cuban reggaeton singer José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, El Taiger, would be solved “very soon.” However, Morales asked the public for patience and stressed that the investigation continued in an exhaustive manner and in coordination with federal and state authorities.
“I understand that people are anxious, especially in a case like this, where the circumstances were horrible. But I ask that you have confidence in the ability of the Miami Police Department. We have never stopped conducting our investigation, we are working to solve the crime and bring justice not only to El Taiger, but also to his family,” Morales said.
Furthermore, he emphasized that although the public expects a quick resolution, “there are several steps” that the Police have to take “to ensure that the case, when it reaches court, is solid.”
Regarding the existence of videos from the moment of the murder, Morales was cautious and did not confirm or deny the information: “At this time we are not ready to discuss that level of detail of what we have in the investigation.” At the insistence of journalist Mario Vallejo, who suggested that the refusal to confirm could be a sign that the videos exist, Morales responded: “You can assume all you want, but the official verification of the Police Department at this time is not “We are ready to give it.”
Morales also addressed rumors about the possible involvement of more than one person in the crime and whether El Taiger may have been involved in illegal activities at the time of his murder. However, the Police Chief reiterated that they are not prepared to disclose those details.
“We still have a couple of questions. We are looking for the individual Damian Valdez Galloso. What I am asking, pleading with our audience, is that if you have any details – no matter how small – in reference to what happened or where this individual is, please do not delay in contacting the Police,” Morales asked.
In the interview, Morales also referred to the importance of digital evidence for the investigation, which includes “phones, security cameras, cameras that read car license plates.” However, he declined to give more details about the nature of the evidence or whether there is any video of the vehicle involved in the murder. “We have a lot of evidence right now, but we are not ready to discuss the details,” he reiterated.
Despite the pressure for answers, Morales insisted that it is essential to have enough evidence for the case to hold up at trial. “Remember, the easy part is making an arrest. The difficult part is having enough evidence for the case to go to court and have a conviction at the level that our legal system requires,” he said.
In response to the question of when there will be a definitive resolution of the case, Morales was optimistic but cautious: “Very soon you will have many of the answers that you gave me today. It depends on several factors, and if the audience helps us and gives us the information we need, it could be sooner than expected.”
