The head of the Miami Police, Manuel A. Morales, provided new details on Wednesday regarding the murder case of the Cuban reggaeton singer José Manuel Carbajal, known as El Taiger, and stated that they have enough evidence to secure a conviction against the alleged killer.
In an appearance on the program "Encuentro Virtual" with journalist Gloria Ordaz from Telemundo 51, Morales stated that both the police and the Prosecutor's Office have all the evidence necessary for the accused, Damián Valdez-Galloso, to be found guilty.
His statements address the speculation that the defense might argue that the subject acted in self-defense.
In this regard, Morales was emphatic in stating that this hypothesis is not supported by the evidence collected so far.
"There is no possibility of claiming that it was self-defense. In Florida, you have the right to defend your home, but the evidence does not indicate that this is what happened; rather, it points to a murder, a crime that cannot be denied. We are confident, the detectives handling the case, that we will reach a guilty verdict," the police chief emphasized.
Morales also emphasized that the initial interview with Valdez-Galloso, which has not yet been released, is crucial for determining whether the murder was an act of self-defense or if it was indeed a premeditated crime.
"This interview is very important to determine the details of the case, which is why we have not made all the information public," he argued.
In addition to the interview, there are two videos and mobile phone records that have not yet been released to preserve the investigation, he explained.
Regarding the request to elevate the charges to First Degree Murder, the official emphasized that authorities have not yet found evidence indicating that the crime was premeditated, and that the existing evidence so far supports the charge of Second Degree Murder.
"The evidence is strong, both video and physical, and there are two individuals involved in the incident," explained Morales, "the aggressor and the victim."
Regarding the nature of the murder, the police chief explained that the shot that killed El Taiger was direct and fired at close range, and that the victim was shot in the forehead while looking at his assailant.
"The shot was fired from the front, indicating that El Taiger was face to face with his attacker," Morales stated.
Additionally, he mentioned that a young woman was in the house at the time of the murder, although he stated that she did not take part in the events.
The arrest of Valdez-Galloso, who had been on the run since October 3, took place on Tuesday in New York, where the suspect had been staying in a hostel without anyone helping him, Morales said.
"I was staying at a hostel in New York and no one was helping him," he revealed, emphasizing that the capture was made possible through collaboration between the police forces of Miami and New York.
Morales also dismissed rumors suggesting that El Taiger may have been tortured before his death, clarifying that "there is no evidence that he was tortured." The official version is that the reggaeton artist was murdered, and although the crime is still under investigation, it has no justification.
The case, which has shocked both the Cuban community and the music industry, is still under investigation.
The reggaeton artist El Taiger, whose legacy in cubatón made him one of the most influential figures in Cuban urban music, was declared dead on October 10, seven days after being found with gunshot wounds and abandoned by Damián Valdéz-Galloso in front of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
The detained Damián Valdez-Galloso was transferred to Miami-Dade this week to face justice for this crime, which took place in a house he was renting in Hialeah.
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