Damián Valdez appears in court for the first time in Miami

Valdez-Galloso is accused of the murder of Cuban reggaeton artist El Taiger. Judge Mindy S. Glazer denied him bail.

Damián Valdez en corte de Miami © Javier Díaz / Instagram / javierdiaz_tv
Damián Valdez in Miami courtPhoto © Javier Díaz / Instagram / javierdiaz_tv

Damián Valdez-Galloso, accused of the murder of Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar (El Taiger), appeared in Miami-Dade criminal court for the first time this Thursday.

Damián appeared before Judge Mindy S. Glazer, who denied him bail for the charge of second-degree murder. According to journalist Javier Díaz from Univisión, the magistrate revealed significant details about the homicide.

Valdez-Galloso, the sole suspect in the El Taiger crime, was extradited on Wednesday to Miami International Airport from New York, where he was captured on October 29 after more than 20 days on the run.

Dressed in white and under strict security measures, the defendant underwent a thorough inspection upon landing, in accordance with the standard protocol of the authorities to ensure the safety and integrity of the process.

During the transfer and the inspection, he remained silent, showing no signs of resistance, but also no signs of remorse that could indicate regret.

A video shared by Javier Díaz showed that Damián's attitude upon arriving in Miami was rather haughty. He was taken off a patrol car handcuffed and accompanied by two officers.

Valdez-Galloso faces a series of charges that include second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm.

On the day of the incident, he shot the reggaeton artist from his front door and used a back door to leave. He then dragged the victim by the ankles and placed him in the vehicle where the police found him a little over an hour later.

After cleaning the crime scene, he changed his clothes and drove the car, dropping off El Taiger near the trauma center of Jackson Memorial Hospital around 6:00 am.

Later, Damián himself made a call to 911. The police arrived at 6:45 am at the location where the singer was bleeding from the head, near the intersection of Northwest 9th Avenue and 17th Street in Miami.

The reggaeton artist was transferred to the mentioned hospital, where he was in critical condition for a week before passing away on October 10.

Damián Valdez-Galloso, known by the alias "El Narra," has a documented criminal history spanning over a decade, with convictions for sexual offenses and thefts, as well as arrests by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The chief of the Miami Police, Manuel A. Morales, confirmed at a press conference that Valdez-Galloso is the perpetrator of the murder of El Taiger and stated that there are no other individuals involved in the crime.

"Damián was the one who fired the shot; he is responsible, and there is no one else involved," he emphasized.

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