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The judge Milton Hirsch of Miami-Dade County demanded this Wednesday that the Prosecutor's Office provide concrete updates in the case regarding the death of the Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carvajal Saldivar, known artistically as El Taiger, and granted just one more week for the pending interviews with police officers to be submitted.
During a court hearing, Hirsch appeared visibly upset by the ongoing delays in the investigation and rejected the prosecution's request to extend the deadline by an additional 30 days, reported Telemundo 51.
"Thank God the judge is no longer allowing them to drag things out", celebrated Teresa Padrón, friend and former representative of the artist, in statements to local media.
The judge requested that the police be brought in to explain why they need 30 days to write a simple report, added Padrón, who has closely followed each step of the judicial process since the crime occurred in October 2024.
As part of the process, the prosecutor's office presented new graphic evidence, including images of the artist at Jackson Memorial Hospital after being shot in the head.
More than a thousand photographs taken in the motel room in Hialeah where El Taiger frequently stayed were also revealed.
Reports indicate that the room was in deplorable condition, with remnants of food, dirty clothes, drinks, bloodstained papers, jewelry and cigarette butts. Fentanyl bags were also found.
I have never seen José smoke a cigarette. I am sure other people were there, said his former manager. I do not use drugs, I always tried to help him, he added.
The authorities also presented images of the interior of Damián Valdés Galloso's home, the only suspect in the crime, where cleaning supplies, clothes in the washing machine, and a Ring camera ripped from the wall were found, which the investigators interpret as an attempt to erase evidence.
Valdés Galloso called 911 from the vicinity of Jackson Hospital, where the body of El Taiger was found inside a vehicle, along with blood in the trunk, gallons of fuel, a knife, a blade, and jewelry.
A gun was also recovered in Padrón's house, although she claims it does not match the one used in the crime. “The one I surrendered was completely silver. This one has black on the bottom,” she clarified.
The trial against Damián Valdés Galloso is currently scheduled for December 8, 2025. However, the upcoming hearing —set for October 15— could alter this date if the prosecution fails to meet the requirements set by the judge.
Padrón expressed his concern about the direction of the judicial process: “They are not conducting interviews with the witnesses; I do not see any preparation for the trial. I fear they will seek a deal to reduce the sentence.”
The accused faces charges of first-degree murder, for which he could face life imprisonment.
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