Cubans in Miami made an official request to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office for Damián Valdez Galloso to face first-degree murder charges for the homicide of the Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carvajal, known as "El Taiger."
This call has intensified after Valdez was initially charged with second-degree murder, a charge many consider insufficient given the brutality and premeditation of the crime.
The petition has garnered over 23,000 signatures. The document requests the prosecutor's office to review the severity of the charges. Teresa Padrón, the manager of El Taiger, has been one of the main advocates for this initiative and has shared the link to the petition on her social media, asking for support from the community.
"Let's sign and share the petition for justice for José," he wrote on his Instagram account, emphasizing that the artist's family and friends believe that the second-degree murder charge downplays the seriousness of the situation.
Police records indicate that Valdez shot El Taiger in the head at the entrance of his residence in Miami. He tampered with the scene by dragging the body to a vehicle and cleaning up evidence of the crime, then left the injured man near Jackson Memorial Hospital, where authorities found him.
These details have sparked outrage in the community, which perceives the act as one that was planned and carried out with extreme coldness, leading them to demand a reclassification of the charges.
Recently, Damián Valdez refused to appear in the Miami-Dade court, further increasing the distress of El Taiger's family and supporters.
Teresa Padrón, who has been present at the hearings, expressed her frustration over Valdez's refusal to face justice, stating that he "does not want to show his face," which reflects his lack of remorse and disdain for the seriousness of the crime.
Valdez's next hearing is scheduled for November 22. The Cuban community in Miami will continue to push for the case to be handled with the utmost severity.
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