Manuel Morales, the head of the Miami Police, clarified in an interview with Univision this Wednesday a number of lingering questions regarding the murder of El Taiger.
Hours before the video was released showing the exact moment Damian shot the reggaeton artist, Morales answered some questions from journalist Daniel Benítez and declined to answer others, regarding matters that are still under investigation.
One of the most significant revelations from the high-ranking police official was the confirmation that there was a woman inside the house at the moment Damian shot El Taiger.
“We have no probable cause to believe that the woman seen in the video is involved in any aspect of the incident,” said Morales, offering no further details on the matter.
The police chief added that he is "cooperating with the police," but insisted that he had nothing to do with the violent act itself.
Despite the confirmation of a woman's presence in the images, the segment of the surveillance footage released today does not show the presence of a second individual.
Morales reiterated once again that all the evidence shows it was the now-accused individual who carried El Taiger's body to the car, without any assistance.
"He tried to get him into the car, but he couldn't. Then he brought the car closer and with a lot of effort, he managed to lift him into the back of the vehicle," he explained, referring to a part of the video that goes beyond the shared clip.
Morales also noted that no further arrests are expected and that no additional individuals are under investigation.
When questioned about the reason why Damian shot at El Taiger—a question pondered by millions of Cubans—Morales denied that the motive is known.
"We do not have any indication of what the motive was. The investigation cannot currently determine if there was indeed any premeditation on his part to commit the homicide," he noted.
Benítez asked how Damian got back home from the area around the hospital after abandoning the car with the body in it, but the police chief responded that "now is not the time to provide that detail."
Regarding the reason why Damian left the tanks on the car, it was mentioned that it is unclear, and that he may have intended to set the car on fire to eliminate evidence.
Morales said he does not know how Damian arrived in New York, but clarified that he does not believe it was by air, as a notification was issued early on to monitor his possible departure.
Regarding the arrest, he clarified that he was not armed at the time of the detention.
According to the report by Daniel Benítez, who covered the entirety of the interview on his YouTube channel, Manuel Morales expressed his astonishment at the impact of this case, the way the media has covered it, and how the artist's followers have been closely following each step of the process.
Finally, when questioned about the request to elevate the charge to first-degree murder instead of second-degree murder, he was firm in his response.
Morales stated that they cannot act "from emotion" but rather "from evidence," and reiterated that what is currently available suggests a second-degree murder.
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