The Chief of Police of Miami, Manuel A. Morales, confirmed on Wednesday that Damián Valdez-Galloso, who was sought as a "person of interest" in the case of Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carbajal, El Taiger, is responsible for the artist's murder.
At a press conference, the official stated that Valdez Galloso is the person responsible for the shot that caused the death of the popular musician and has been arrested in New York after being on the run since October 3.
He also stated that the detainee will be transferred to Miami-Dade County in the coming hours to face trial.
"Damian was the one who fired; he is responsible, and there is no one else involved," Morales stated, adding that the crime took place in the city of Hialeah.
He said that there is a video that will be revealed later and expressed his gratitude to the community of Miami and Hialeah for their cooperation in clarifying this crime that shocked the Cuban and artistic community in Cuba and South Florida.
"We are working with the state prosecutors, especially with Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez, to secure the charges that will be filed and to ensure that Damián pays for his crime," he emphasized.
"In our minds, there is no doubt that he was the one who fired; there are videos that will serve as evidence and will be in the hands of the prosecution," Morales commented.
He also explained that the arrest was made on Tuesday thanks to the efforts of the Miami Police, whose officers flew to the Big Apple to support their New York colleagues in making the apprehension.
He also dismissed rumors that El Taiger had died from torture or as a result of some sort of settling of scores, as had been speculated: "We have no evidence that he was tortured; he was murdered," he clarified.
Finally, he highlighted the work of the Miami police, who managed to capture the fugitive in less than a month. "Our agents solve 97% of crimes in the state; this is an achievement," he stated.
The Cuban reggaeton artist was found in the back of a Mercedes Benz truck with a gunshot wound to the head on October 3rd outside Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, and was declared dead seven days later, on October 10th.
The police had reported that Valdez-Galloso was a person of interest in the case and offered $5,000 for any information leading to his whereabouts.
"We always knew it," said Morales, clarifying that sometimes the terminology can complicate the resolution of a case, which is why it has not been confirmed until now that the individual in question was the only suspect.
El Taiger is one of the most significant figures in what is known as cubatón, a genre that blends reggaeton with Cuban rhythms. In just over 15 years, he achieved numerous hits—such as La Historia, Southwest, El Punto, La Cura...—and made contributions to the genre that have established him as an icon of contemporary Cuban music.
He was known by his followers as "Big Tai," "The Beast, the machine, the animal," or simply "The stronghold of my country."
Dozens of activists on the island have revealed in recent days that amid the widespread crisis, the musician has supported countless social causes from a place of anonymity.
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