MIAMI, United States. – The Chief of the Miami Police, Manuel Morales, provided additional information about the murder of Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, known artistically as El Taiger. In an interview with journalist Gloria Ordaz for the program Virtual meeting of Telemundo 51, Morales detailed the evidence that links the only suspect, Damián Valdez-Galloso, 49 years old and resident of Hialeah.
According to Morales, the authorities have a video that captures the exact moment of the crime. Footage shows El Taiger arriving at Valdez-Galloso’s residence around 4:00 a.m., where he repeatedly knocks on the door. When he opens, Valdez Galloso shoots him directly. The suspect is then seen dragging the body to the victim’s vehicle and driving to the vicinity of Jackson Memorial Hospital.
“We have compelling evidence,” Morales stated during the interview. The police chief also revealed that it was Valdez-Galloso himself who made the 911 call before abandoning the car with El Taiger, still alive but seriously injured by the shot to the head.
In relation to a woman who appears in the video, Morales confirmed her presence but ruled out her involvement in the murder. “We do not have any evidence that links her to the events,” he said.
Despite the seriousness of the crime, authorities have charged Valdez-Galloso with second-degree murder charges. Morales explained that although the evidence is strong for a guilty verdict, there is insufficient evidence to establish premeditation, a necessary requirement for a first-degree murder charge.
The shot was fired from the front, face to face, which rules out the possibility that Valdez Galloso acted in self-defense. Additionally, investigations have determined that Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” statutes do not apply, as there is no indication that the suspect felt threatened at his home.
Morales admitted not having details about whether there was any previous discussion between El Taiger and Valdéz-Galloso, or the reasons that led the artist to show up at the suspect’s house at such an early hour. “We do not know the reason for his visit at that time,” he commented.
Damian Valdez-Galloso, also known as “El Narra”, owns an extensive criminal history spanning more than a decade. Between 2007 and 2018, he accumulated six convictions, including two for sexual relations with minors between 16 and 17 years old and three for not registering as a sex offender. In 2018 he was convicted of grand theft, and was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2015 and 2019.
Released from prison in September 2020, in 2021 he faced a grand theft charge in Miami-Dade County. Records indicate that, as a convicted felon, he resided in Hialeah as a registered sex offender.
Miami Police Chief confirmed in a previous press conference that Valdez-Galloso is the material author of the murder of El Taiger and assured that there are no other people involved. “Damian was the one who shot; is responsible and there is no other person involved,” Morales emphasized.
On October 3, the Police received an emergency call made by Valdez-Galloso himself and arrived at the scene at 6:45 am. Thus, the officers found El Taiger bleeding from the head near the intersection of the Northwest 9th Avenue and 17th Street, in Miami. The artist was taken to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition for a week before died on October 10.
